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Below I rewrite the book of Philemon, “leveling” the text by using only the 200 most common words in the Greek New Testament, that is words that occur 85x or more. I also simplify the word order and syntax so that a beginner can read the text with some ease.


LEVELED: 1 Παῦλος δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς τῷ Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαθῷ μαθητῇ ἡμῶν2 καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφῇ καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ ἀδελφῷ ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου.

UNADAPTED: 1 Παῦλος δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ Τιμόθεος ὁ ἀδελφὸς Φιλήμονι τῷ ἀγαπητῷ καὶ συνεργῷ ἡμῶν2 καὶ Ἀπφίᾳ τῇ ἀδελφῇ καὶ Ἀρχίππῳ τῷ συστρατιώτῃ ἡμῶν καὶ τῇ κατ᾽ οἶκόν σου ἐκκλησίᾳ,


LEVELED: 3 χάρις καὶ εἰρήνη ὑμῖν ἀπὸ θεοῦ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.4 δίδωμι χάριν τῷ θεῷ μου περί σου. καὶ προσεύχομαι τῷ Κυρίῳ περί σου. 5 ἀκούω γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους. 6 προσεύχομαι δὲ ὅτι ἡ πίστις σου ἔσται μεγάλη καὶ ἄνθρωποι γνώσονται πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἃ σὺ ἔχεις εἰς Χριστόν. 7 ἡ γὰρ ἀγαπή σου παρακαλεῖ μὲ ὅτι ἡ καρδία τῶν ἁγίων ἔχει ζωὴν ἐν σοί, ἀδελφέ.

UNADAPTED: 3 χάρις ὑμῖν καὶ εἰρήνη ἀπὸ θεοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν καὶ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.4 Εὐχαριστῶ τῷ θεῷ μου πάντοτε μνείαν σου ποιούμενος ἐπὶ τῶν προσευχῶν μου,5 ἀκούων σου τὴν ἀγάπην καὶ τὴν πίστιν, ἣν ἔχεις πρὸς τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν καὶ εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους,6 ὅπως ἡ κοινωνία τῆς πίστεώς σου ἐνεργὴς γένηται ἐν ἐπιγνώσει παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν εἰς Χριστόν.7 χαρὰν γὰρ πολλὴν ἔσχον καὶ παράκλησιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγάπῃ σου, ὅτι τὰ σπλάγχνα τῶν ἁγίων ἀναπέπαυται διὰ σοῦ, ἀδελφέ.


LEVELED: 8 ἔχω μὲν ἐξουσίαν λέγειν σοι ὡς κύριος λέγει δούλῳ. θέλω δὲ διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην παρακαλεῖν σε, ὢν Παῦλος, μαθητὴς τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ, νυν δὲ καὶ δοῦλος. 10 παρακαλῶ σε περὶ τοῦ τέκνου ἐμοῦ, ὃν ἐγέννησα, Ὀνήσιμον.11 οὐ δεῖ σέ ἔχειν τὸν Ὀνήσιμον, ἀλλὰ δεῖ ἐμὲ ἔχειν αὐτόν.12 ἀποστέλλω Ὀνήσιμόν σοι, αὐτόν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν τὴν καρδίαν μου13 ἐγὼ ἠθέλησα αὐτὸν μένειν σύν μοι, ἵνα ὑπὲρ σοῦ Ὀνήσιμος ἦ δοῦλός μοι ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ.14 ἠθέλησα δὲ ποιῆσαι πάντα κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου ὡς ἀδελφὸς καὶ μὴ ὡς κύριος, ἵνα τὸ ἀγαθόν σου ᾖ κατὰ ἀγάπην καὶ οὐ κατὰ ἐξουσίαν.

UNADAPTED: 8 Διὸ πολλὴν ἐν Χριστῷ παρρησίαν ἔχων ἐπιτάσσειν σοι τὸ ἀνῆκον9 διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην μᾶλλον παρακαλῶ, τοιοῦτος ὢν ὡς Παῦλος πρεσβύτης νυνὶ δὲ καὶ δέσμιος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ•10 παρακαλῶ σε περὶ τοῦ ἐμοῦ τέκνου, ὃν ἐγέννησα ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς, Ὀνήσιμον,11 τόν ποτέ σοι ἄχρηστον νυνὶ δὲ καὶ σοὶ καὶ ἐμοὶ εὔχρηστον,12 ὃν ἀνέπεμψά σοι, αὐτόν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν τὰ ἐμὰ σπλάγχνα•13 ὃν ἐγὼ ἐβουλόμην πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν κατέχειν, ἵνα ὑπὲρ σοῦ μοι διακονῇ ἐν τοῖς δεσμοῖς τοῦ εὐαγγελίου,14 χωρὶς δὲ τῆς σῆς γνώμης οὐδὲν ἠθέλησα ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ ὡς κατὰ ἀνάγκην τὸ ἀγαθόν σου ᾖ ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἑκούσιον.


LEVELED: 15 πιστεύω γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο Ὀνήσιμον ἀπῆλθε ἀπό σου πρὸς ὥραν, ἵνα πάλιν λαμβάνῃς αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας,16 οὐκ ὡς δοῦλον ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ δοῦλον, ἀδελφὸν ἐν ἀγάπῃ, καὶ ἐμοί καὶ σοὶ, καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν κυρίῳ.

UNADAPTED: 15 Τάχα γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐχωρίσθη πρὸς ὥραν, ἵνα αἰώνιον αὐτὸν ἀπέχῃς,16 οὐκέτι ὡς δοῦλον ἀλλ᾽ ὑπὲρ δοῦλον, ἀδελφὸν ἀγαπητόν, μάλιστα ἐμοί, πόσῳ δὲ μᾶλλον σοὶ καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ καὶ ἐν κυρίῳ.


LEVELED: 17 εἰ οὖν σὺ ἀγαπᾷς με, λαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ.18 εἰ δέ Ὀνήσιμος ἐποίησέ τινα ἁμαρτίαν κατά σε, κρίνε τοῦτο ἐμοὶ .19 ἐγὼ Παῦλος γράφω ἐν τῇ χειρί μου. ἐγὼ ποιήσω τὴν εἰρήνην. ἀλλὰ οὐ θέλω λέγειν σοι ὅτι ὁ κύριός σοῦ εἰμί ὅτι ἐγεννήσα σε ἐν Χριστῷ.

UNADAPTED: 17 εἰ οὖν με ἔχεις κοινωνόν, προσλαβοῦ αὐτὸν ὡς ἐμέ.18 εἰ δέ τι ἠδίκησέν σε ἢ ὀφείλει, τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἐλλόγα.19 ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἐμῇ χειρί. ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω• ἵνα μὴ λέγω σοι ὅτι καὶ σεαυτόν μοι προσοφείλεις.


LEVELED: 20 ἀδελφέ, ἐγὼ ἔχω εἰρήνην ἐν κυρίῳ παρά σου• ποίει καλὴν τὴν καρδίαν μου ἐν Χριστῷ.21 πιστεύω ὅτι σὺ ἀκούσῃ τοὺς λόγους μου. καὶ γινώσκω ὅτι ποιήσεις καὶ ὑπὲρ ἃ λέγω.

UNADAPTED: 20 ναὶ ἀδελφέ, ἐγώ σου ὀναίμην ἐν κυρίῳ• ἀνάπαυσόν μου τὰ σπλάγχνα ἐν Χριστῷ.21 Πεποιθὼς τῇ ὑπακοῇ σου ἔγραψά σοι, εἰδὼς ὅτι καὶ ὑπὲρ ἃ λέγω ποιήσεις.


LEVELED: 22νῦν δὲ ποίει μοι τόπον ἐν ᾧ μενῶ. πιστεύω γὰρ ὅτι σὺ προσεύξῃ ὑπέρ μου καὶ ἐλεύσομαι πρός σε. 23 Ἐπαφρᾶς καὶ Ἰησοῦ καὶ24 Μᾶρκος καὶ Ἀρίσταρχος καὶ Δημᾶς καὶ Λουκᾶς λέγουσι «εἰρήνη ὑμῖν.» οὗτοι δὲ ποιοῦσι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ σύν μοι ἐν Χριστῷ.25 πιστεύω ὅτι ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἔσται μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν.

UNADAPTED: 22 ἅμα δὲ καὶ ἑτοίμαζέ μοι ξενίαν• ἐλπίζω γὰρ ὅτι διὰ τῶν προσευχῶν ὑμῶν χαρισθήσομαι ὑμῖν.23 Ἀσπάζεταί σε Ἐπαφρᾶς ὁ συναιχμάλωτός μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,24 Μᾶρκος, Ἀρίσταρχος, Δημᾶς, Λουκᾶς, οἱ συνεργοί μου.25 Ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑμῶν.

thanks, Mark -- I'm printing myself a copy of your Philemon & your Mark 1, to look over during the NASCAR race this afternoon

Is there a list online somewhere of "200 most common words" and "300 most common words" as well as how many times each occurs in the GNT?

Susan,

I've seen many of those lists. The best one I've seen is Voorst:

Van Voorst, R. E. (1990). Building your New Testament Greek vocabulary (30). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans

You can get Anki decks ( a free digital flash card program) that show the glosses of top frequency words.

But, I wonder if the most useful list isn't Major's paper on frequency.
http://www.camws.org/cpl/cplonline/Majorcplonline.pdf

I'm trying to develop a GNT specific core vocabulary of around 600 words. I have it posted as an open, editable file. If you want to see it, download it, help with it, it's found here:
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/98867968/CORE% ... GREEK.xlsx

Ἔρρωσο.
Σαῦλος