Philemon

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker, ²and Apphia the beloved, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and the assembly in thy house: ³Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ! ⁴I give thanks to my God, always making mention of thee in my prayers, ⁵hearing of thy love and faith that thou hast unto the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶that the fellowship of thy faith may become working in the full knowledge of every good thing that is in you toward Christ Jesus; ⁷for we have much joy and comfort in thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.

⁸Wherefore, having in Christ much boldness to command thee that which is fit— ⁹because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ; ¹⁰I entreat thee concerning my child—whom I did beget in my bonds—Onesimus, ¹¹who once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee, ¹²whom I did send again, and thou him (that is, my own bowels) receive, ¹³whom I did wish to retain to myself, that in thy behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the good news, ¹⁴and apart from thy mind I willed to do nothing, that as of necessity thy good deed may not be, but of willingness, ¹⁵for perhaps because of this he did depart for an hour, that age-duringly thou mayest have him, ¹⁶no more as a servant, but above a servant—a brother beloved, especially to me, and how much more to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord! ¹⁷If, then, with me thou hast fellowship, receive him as me, ¹⁸and if he did hurt to thee, or doth owe anything, this to me be reckoning; ¹⁹I, Paul did write with my hand, I—I will repay; that I may not say that also thyself, besides, to me thou dost owe. ²⁰Yes, brother, may I have profit of thee in the Lord; refresh my bowels in the Lord; ²¹having been confident in thy obedience I did write to thee, having known that also above what I may say thou wilt do; ²²and at the same time also prepare for me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. ²³Salute thee doth Epaphras, (my fellow-captive in Christ Jesus,) ²⁴Markus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lukas, my fellow-workmen! ²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is with your spirit! Amen.

Chapter 1