Philemon 1

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow worker,

²and to Apphia the sister and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the assembly at your house:

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

⁴I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

⁵hearing of your love and the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

⁶so that the fellowship of your faith may become effective in the knowledge of every good thing that is in us toward Christ Jesus.

⁷For I had great joy and encouragement on account of your love, because the inward parts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

⁸Therefore, having much boldness in Christ to order you what is proper,

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

¹⁰I appeal to you concerning my child, whom I begot in my chains — Onesimus,

¹¹the one who was once useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me,

¹²whom I have sent back to you — him, that is, my very heart — receive him.

¹³whom I myself was wishing to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might serve me in the chains of the gospel;

¹⁴But without your consent I wished to do nothing, so that your good deed might not be as according to necessity, but according to willingness.

¹⁵For perhaps for this reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever,

¹⁶no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord;

¹⁷If therefore you hold me as a partner, receive him as me.

¹⁸But if he has wronged you in anything, or owes you anything, charge that to me.

¹⁹I, Paul, write with my own hand: I will repay it — that I may not say to you that you owe me even your own self.

²⁰Yes, brother, may I have benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

²¹Having been persuaded of your obedience, I wrote to you, knowing that you will do even more than what I say.

²²At the same time, also prepare lodging for me; for I hope that through your prayers I will be granted to you.

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

²⁴Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵The grace of the Lord our Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. To Philemon it was written from Rome through Onesimus the servant.