Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

Simplified Cowboy Version

Philemon 1:11

Onesimus has been of little value to you in the past, but now he has become something great for the both of us.

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Onesimus;   Philemon;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for April 5;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
King James Version (1611)
Which in time past was to thee vnprofitable: but now profitable to thee and to me:
King James Version
Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
English Standard Version
(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
New American Standard Bible
who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
New Century Version
In the past he was useless to you, but now he has become useful for both you and me.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
Legacy Standard Bible
who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
Berean Standard Bible
Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
Contemporary English Version
Before this, he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
Complete Jewish Bible
His name means "useful," and although he was once useless to you, he has now become most useful — not only to you but also to me;
Darby Translation
once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:
Easy-to-Read Version
In the past he was useless to you. But now he has become useful for both you and me.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Which in times past was to thee vnprofitable, but nowe profitable both to thee and to me,
George Lamsa Translation
But of whom in the past you could not make use, but now he is very useful both to you and to me.
Good News Translation
At one time he was of no use to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.
Lexham English Bible
Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful to you and to me,
Literal Translation
the one once worthless to you, but now useful to you and to me; whom I sent back to you.
Amplified Bible
Once he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you as well as to me.
American Standard Version
who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:
Bible in Basic English
Who in the past was of no profit to you, but now is of profit to you and to me:
Hebrew Names Version
who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me;
International Standard Version
Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful[fn] both to you and to me.
Etheridge Translation
who once was of no use to thee, but (who will) now to thee, as also to me, be greatly useful;
Murdock Translation
from whom formerly thou hadst no profit, but now very profitable will he be both to thee and to me; and whom I have sent to thee.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Which in tyme passed, was to thee vnprofitable, but nowe profitable to thee and to me.
English Revised Version
who was aforetime unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me:
World English Bible
who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me;
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
but now profitable to thee and me, Whom I have sent again:
Weymouth's New Testament
Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which sumtyme was vnprofitable to thee, but now profitable bothe to thee and to me; whom Y sente ayen to thee.
Update Bible Version
who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable both to you and to me:
Webster's Bible Translation
Who in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:
New English Translation
who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you and me.
New King James Version
who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.
New Living Translation
Onesimus hasn't been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.
New Life Bible
At one time he was of no use to you. But now he is of use to you and to me.
New Revised Standard
Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Him who, at one time, was, unto thee, unserviceable, but, now, unto thee and unto me, serviceable;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee but now is profitable both to me and thee:
Revised Standard Version
(Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.)
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
which in tyme passed was to the vnproffetable: but now proffetable bothe to the and also to me
Young's Literal Translation
who once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which in tyme past was to the vnprofitable, but now profitable both to the and me.
Mace New Testament (1729)
'tis true he was formerly useless to you, but now he will be useful to us both:

Contextual Overview

8I write to you to ask you a favor. I could make a demand of you because it is the right thing to do in God's eyes, 9but I'd rather show you the same kind of love you've shown me and just simply ask you. Consider it a simple request from a friend. I'm just an old friend who is out riding pastures and looking for strays for the sake of Christ. 10I want you to give Onesimus a break. I have become like a father to him while locked up for my work. 11Onesimus has been of little value to you in the past, but now he has become something great for the both of us. 12I'm sending him back to you and my heart comes with him. 13I really wanted to keep him here to help me while I'm locked up. Because he belongs to you, it would be as if you yourself were here helping me. 14But I didn't ask you first so I'm sending him back. I really do want your help, but not if you didn't have a choice in the matter. 15He was a slave who ran away, but now he's coming back as one of Jesus's cowboys. You lost him for a while, but now you're getting him back for good. 16I don't want you to look at him like a slave anymore, but rather a brother like he is to me. You have not lost anything by this, but gained so much more because now you have a cowboy who rides for the Lord. 17If you consider us pards, welcome him home just like you would me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

unprofitable: Job 30:1, Job 30:2, Matthew 25:30, Luke 17:10, Romans 3:12, 1 Peter 2:10

profitable: Luke 15:24, Luke 15:32, 2 Timothy 4:11

Reciprocal: Genesis 49:8 - thy hand Jeremiah 13:7 - it was Luke 6:42 - cast Titus 3:8 - good

Cross-References

Matthew 3:10
God's axe is already at the bottom of your tree. If you don't change the way you live your lives, your tree will end up in the BBQ pit.
Matthew 6:30
And if the Boss cares so much for cactus that are here today and rot tomorrow, he certainly cares for you. Why can't you have a little more faith than that?
Mark 4:28
He has no idea how it works, but he knows it does. The earth makes things grow. First, a little green leaf pokes up through the dirt. Then the head of wheat forms.
Hebrews 6:7
When a calf crop is a hundred percent, you keep all of 'em back.
James 3:12
Can you get a filly from a cow or a heifer from a mare? Salt water doesn't become fresh by putting it in a clean cup.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable,.... Yea, injurious and hurtful; one that was an eye servant, that loitered away his time, and set an ill example to fellow servants; and not only so, but embezzled his master's goods, and robbed him, and run away from him. So every man, in his state of unregeneracy, is an unprofitable man, Romans 3:12 unprofitable to God, to men, and to themselves; their sins will not profit them, though they may promise them liberty and pleasure; nor will their riches, should they lose their own souls: nor their own righteousness, in the business of justification and salvation; nor even an outward profession of religion: yea, they are not only said to be unprofitable, but are represented as good for nothing; hence they are compared to dishonourable and unserviceable vessels; to briers and thorns, and the earth which brings them; to the salt that has lost its savour, and is fit neither for the land, nor for the dunghill; to rotten figs, to chaff, and dross of metals: yea, they are hurtful and injurious to themselves, on whom they bring ruin and destruction; to others, to wicked men, whom they more and more corrupt, and harden in sin; and to good men, whom they grieve; and also to the interest and glory of God, whose laws they transgress, and against whom they sin, affront his justice, and provoke the eyes of his glory.

But now profitable to thee and to me; that is, he was now likely to be so, to be profitable to Philemon, as a servant, and to the apostle as a ministering brother. Some think there is in this an allusion to his name Onesimus, which signifies "profitable"; before he did not answer to his name, but now he was a true Onesimus, really a profitable person; grace, of an unprofitable man, makes a profitable one. Such an one is profitable to himself; his godliness is gain unto him, it having both the promise of this life, and of that which is to come; and he is profitable to others, if he has gifts qualifying him for the public work of the ministry, as Onesimus seems to have had; then he is made and becomes very useful to many for conviction, conversion, comfort, and edification; and if only a private believer, he is often profitable to others, by relating the work of God upon his soul; he is serviceable to the interest of Christ, for the support of the ministry, and supply of the poor; he is useful by his good examples, and prayers, in the neighbourhood, town, city, or nation, in which he dwells. This argument from profit, the apostle knew would be an engaging one.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Which in time past was to thee unprofitable - Either because he was indolent; because he had wronged him (compare the notes at Philemon 1:18), or because he had run away from him. It is possible that there may be an allusion here to the meaning of the name “Onesimus,” which denotes “profitable” (from ὀνίνημι oninēmi, future ὀνήσω onēsō, to be useful, to be profitable, to help), and that Paul means to say that he had hitherto not well answered to the meaning of his own name, but that now he would be found to do so.

But now profitable to thee - The Greek here is εὔχρηστον euchrēston, but the meaning is about the same as that of the word Onesimus. It denotes very useful. In 2 Timothy 2:21, it is rendered “meet for use;” in 2 Timothy 4:11, and here, profitable. It does not elsewhere occur in the New Testament.

And to me - Paul had doubtless found him useful to him as Christian brother in his bonds, and it is easy to conceive that, in his circumstances, he would greatly desire to retain him with him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Philemon 1:11. Was to thee unprofitable — Alluding to the meaning of Onesimus's name, as has been already noted; though the apostle uses a different Greek word to express the same idea.


 
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