Philemon 4–21

^4hI thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers, ⁵ⁱhearing of thy ^jlove and ^jfaith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints; ⁶that the communication of thy faith may become effectual ^kby the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. ⁷For ^lwe have great joy and ^mconsolation in thy love, because ⁿthe bowels of the saints ^oare refreshed by thee, brother. ⁸Wherefore, ^pthough I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee ^qthat which is convenient, ⁹yet for love’s sake I rather ^rbeseech thee, being such an one as Paul ^sthe aged, and now also ^aa prisoner of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰I ^rbeseech thee for ^ssmy son ^tOnesimus, ^uwhom I have begotten in my bonds: ¹¹which in time past was to thee ^vunprofitable, but now ^wprofitable to thee and to me: ¹²whom I have ^xsent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, ^ymine own bowels: ¹³whom I would have ^zretained with me, that ^ain thy stead he might have ministered unto me in ^bthe bonds of the gospel: ¹⁴but without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should ^cdnot be as it were of necessity, ^dbut willingly. ^15eFor perhaps he therefore departed ^ffor a season, that thou shouldest ^greceive him for ever; ^16hnot now as a servant, but above a servant, ⁱa brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both ^kin the flesh, and in the Lord? ¹⁷If thou count me therefore ^la partner, receive him as myself. ¹⁸If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account; ^19mI Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: ⁿalbeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides. ²⁰Yea, brother, let me ^ohave joy of thee in the Lord: ^prefresh my bowels in the Lord. ^21qHaving confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.