Philemon 4–21

Thanksgiving and Prayer

⁴I always thank my Godⁱ as I remember you in my prayers,^{j 5}because I hear about your love for all his holy people^k and your faith in the Lord Jesus.^{l 6}I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. ⁷Your love has given me great joy and encouragement,^m because you, brother, have refreshedⁿ the hearts of the Lord’s people.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

⁸Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, ⁹yet I prefer to appeal to you^o on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul—an old man and now also a prisoner^p of Christ Jesus—¹⁰that I appeal to you for my son^q Onesimus,^br who became my son while I was in chains.^{s 11}Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹²I am sending him—who is my very heart—back to you. ¹³I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains^t for the gospel. ¹⁴But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced^u but would be voluntary. ¹⁵Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever—¹⁶no longer as a slave,^v but better than a slave, as a dear brother.^w He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷So if you consider me a partner,^x welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.^{y 19}I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand.^z I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self. ²⁰I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh^a my heart in Christ. ²¹Confident^b of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.