Philemon 1

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker,

² to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your home:

³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers,

⁵ because I hear of your love and of the faith you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all his holy people,

⁶ I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective as you come to know every good thing we have in Christ.

⁷ Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of God's people.

⁸ So, although in Christ I could be bold enough to order you to do what is right,

⁹ I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love. I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus,

¹⁰ I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains.

¹¹ Once he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him back to you—sending my very heart.

¹³ I would have liked to keep him with me, so that he could help me in your place while I am in chains for the gospel.

¹⁴ But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any good you do would not be forced but voluntary.

¹⁵ Perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a little while: so that you might have him back forever—

¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but better than a slave: as a dear brother. He is very dear to me, but even dearer to you, both as a fellow human and as a brother in the Lord.

¹⁷ So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.

¹⁸ And if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me.

¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self.

²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

²¹ Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.

²² And one thing more: prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,

²⁴ and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵ The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.