1 Paul, a a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dearly beloved and fellow worker,
2 and to our sister Apphia, and b Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house.
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 c I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,
5 d hearing of your love and faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all saints,
6 so that the sharing of your faith may become effective e through the acknowledgment of f every good thing that is in us in Christ.
7 For we have great joy and comfort in your love because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to order you to do what is proper,
9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus.
10 I appeal to you for my son g Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my chains,
11 who formerly was to you unprofitable, but now profitable to you and to me.
12 I am sending him back to you in person, that is, my own heart,
13 whom I desired to retain with me, so that on your behalf he might have ministered to me in the chains of the gospel.
14 But without your consent I did not want to do anything so h that your goodness would not be, as it were, by compulsion, but willingly.
15 For perhaps he departed for a season so that you should receive him forever,
16 not now as a bondservant, but more than a bondservant, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the i flesh and in the Lord.
17 If you count me a partner, receive him as you would me.
18 If he has wronged you or owes you anything, put that on my account.
19 I, Paul, am writing it with my own j hand. I will repay it. I do not want to mention to you how you owe me even your own self as well.
20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
21 k Having confidence in your obedience, I wrote to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
22 But at the same time prepare for me also a guest room, for l I trust that m through your prayers I will be restored to you.
23 n Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
24 as well as o Mark, p Aristarchus, q Demas, r Luke, my fellow workers.
25 s The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Philemon References:
a Ep 3:1; b Cl 4:17; c 2 Th 1:3; d Cl 1:4;
e Ph 1:9; f 1 Th 5:18; g Cl 4:9; h 2 Co 9:7;
i Cl 3:22; j 1 Co 16:21; k 2 Co 7:16; l Ph 1:25;
2:24; m 2 Co 1:11; n Cl 1:7; 4:12; o At 12:12,25;
15:37-39; p At 19:29; 27:2; q Cl 4:14; r 2 Tm 4:11;
s 2 Tm 4:22