Philemon 1:13

I wanted to keep him so that he could serve me in your place ¹  during ²  my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. ³ 

I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel.

whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

I really wanted to keep him here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf.

I wanted in the worst way to keep him here as your stand-in to help out while I'm in jail for the Message.

Though my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good news, in your place:

I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel;

whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

I wanted to keep him so that he could serve me in your place ¹  during ²  my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. ³ 

¹ tn This is one of the clearest texts in the NT in which ὑπέρ is used for substitution. Cf. ExSyn 387.

² tn Grk “in my imprisonment.” Paul seems to expect release from his imprisonment after some time (cf. v. 22), but in the meantime the assistance that Onesimus could provide would be valuable to the apostle.

³ tn Grk “in the chains of the gospel.” On the translation “imprisonment for the sake of the gospel,” cf. BDAG 219 s.v. δεσμός 1.a where it says: “Oft. simply in ref. to the locale where bonds or fetters are worn imprisonment, prison (Diod. S. 14, 103, 3; Lucian, Tox. 29; Jos., Ant. 13, 294; 302, Vi. 241; Just., A I, 67, 6 al.) Phil 1:7, 13f, 17; Col 4:18; Phlm 10. μέχρι δεσμῶν 2 Ti 2:9. ἐν τοῖς δ. τοῦ εὐαγγελίου in imprisonment for the gospel Phlm 13; cf. ISm 11:1; Pol 1:1.”