Philemon 1

¹Philemon 1:1. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,²Philemon 1:2. to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:³Philemon 1:3. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴Philemon 1:4. I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,⁵Philemon 1:5. because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.⁶Philemon 1:6. I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.⁷Philemon 1:7. I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.

⁸Philemon 1:8. So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,⁹Philemon 1:9. I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.¹⁰Philemon 1:10. I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.¹¹Philemon 1:11. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.¹²Philemon 1:12. I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.¹³Philemon 1:13. I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.¹⁴Philemon 1:14. But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.¹⁵Philemon 1:15. For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good—¹⁶Philemon 1:16. no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.¹⁷Philemon 1:17. So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.¹⁸Philemon 1:18. But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.¹⁹Philemon 1:19. I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it—not to mention that you owe me your very self.²⁰Philemon 1:20. Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.²¹Philemon 1:21. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.²²Philemon 1:22. In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

²³Philemon 1:23. Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,²⁴Philemon 1:24. as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.²⁵Philemon 1:25. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.