NASB
"whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;"
— Philemon 1:13, NASB
“Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:”
“whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel: ”
“whom I desired to keep with me, that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the Good News.”
“I wanted to keep him with me so that he could serve me in your place during my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel.”
“Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered to me in the bands of the gospel.”
“Though my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good news, in your place:”
“Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:”
I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,
who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.
For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,
no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.