Philemon

¹ Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,

² and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which [is] in thine house.

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I thank my God, always making mention of thee at my prayers,

⁵ hearing of thy love and the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints,

⁶ in such sort that thy participation in the faith should become operative in the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us towards Christ [Jesus].

⁷ For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

⁸ Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,

⁹ for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.

¹⁰ I exhort thee for my child, whom I have begotten in [my] bonds, Onesimus,

¹¹ once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:

¹² whom I have sent back to thee: [but do thou receive] him, that is, my bowels:

¹³ whom I was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings;

¹⁴ but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:

¹⁵ for perhaps for this reason he has been separated [from thee] for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever;

¹⁶ not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord?

¹⁷ If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner [with thee], receive him as me;

¹⁸ but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything [to thee], put this to my account.

¹⁹ I Paul have written [it] with mine own hand; I will repay [it]: that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me.

²⁰ Yea, brother, I would have profit of thee in [the] Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ.

²¹ Being confident of thine obedience, I have written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I say.

²² But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that I shall be granted to you through your prayers.

²³ Epaphras salutes thee, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;

²⁴ Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workmen.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit.