Philemon 4–21

⁴I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers, ⁵hearing of thy love, and of the faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints; ⁶that the fellowship of thy faith may become effectual, in the knowledge of every good thing which is in you, unto Christ. ⁷For I had much joy and comfort in thy love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.

⁸Wherefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to enjoin thee that which is befitting, ⁹yet for love’s sake I rather beseech, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus: ¹⁰I beseech thee for my child, whom I have begotten in my bonds, Onesimus, ¹¹who once was unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable to thee and to me: ¹²whom I have sent back to thee in his own person, that is, my very heart: ¹³whom I would fain have kept with me, that in thy behalf he might minister unto me in the bonds of the gospel: ¹⁴but without thy mind I would do nothing; that thy goodness should not be as of necessity, but of free will. ¹⁵For perhaps he was therefore parted from thee for a season, that thou shouldest have him for ever; ¹⁶no longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much rather to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord. ¹⁷If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as myself. ¹⁸But if he hath wronged thee at all, or oweth thee aught, put that to mine account; ¹⁹I Paul write it with mine own hand, I will repay it: that I say not unto thee that thou owest to me even thine own self besides. ²⁰Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my heart in Christ.

²¹Having confidence in thine obedience I write unto thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.