1 P aul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,

2 a nd to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

3 G race to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Philemon’s Love and Faith

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

5 b ecause I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;

6 a nd I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ’s sake.

7 F or I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

8 T herefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,

9 y et for love’s sake I rather appeal to you —since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus— Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man

10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,

11 w ho formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

12 I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,

13 w hom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

14 b ut without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

15 F or perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,

16 n o 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.

17 I f then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.

18 B ut if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;

19 I , Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it ( not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

20 Y es, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

21 H aving confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

22 A t the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.

23 E paphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

24 a s do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

25 T he grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.