Catholic Public Domain Version
"In times past, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to me and to you. "
— Philemon 1:11, Catholic Public Domain Version
“Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:”
“who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me: ”
“who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me.”
“who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me.”
“Who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee but now is profitable both to me and thee:”
“Who in the past was of no profit to you, but now is of profit to you and to me:”
“Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:”
Because of this, I have enough confidence in Christ Jesus to command you concerning certain things,
but I beg you instead, for the sake of charity, since you are so much like Paul: an old man and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.
I beg you, on behalf of my son, whom I have begotten in my chains, Onesimus.
In times past, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to me and to you.
So I have sent him back to you. And may you receive him like my own heart.
I myself wanted to retain him with me, so that he might minister to me, on your behalf, while I am in the chains of the Gospel.
But I was willing to do nothing without your counsel, so as not to make use of your good deed as if out of necessity, but only willingly.