| Chapter 1 |
1 | Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our beloved fellow worker,
|
2 | to the beloved Apphia, to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the assembly in your 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 you in my prayers,
|
5 | hearing of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;
|
6 | that the fellowship of your faith may become effective, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in us, in Christ Jesus.
|
7 | For we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
|
8 | Therefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to command you that which is appropriate,
|
9 | yet for love's sake I rather beg, being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus.
|
10 | I beg you for my child, whom I have fathered in my bonds, Onesimus,
|
11 | who once was useless to you, but now is useful to you and to me;
|
12 | I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,
|
13 | whom I wanted to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the gospel.
|
14 | But I was willing to do nothing without your consent, that your goodness would not be as of necessity, but of free will.
|
15 | For perhaps he was therefore separated from you for a while, that you would have him forever,
|
16 | no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, a beloved brother, specially to me, but how much rather to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.
|
17 | If then you count me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
|
18 | But if he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, put that to my account.
|
19 | I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self besides).
|
20 | Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
|
21 | Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even beyond what I say.
|
22 | Also, prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
|
23 | Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
|
24 | as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
|
25 | The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
|