1 | Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman, |
2 | and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which [is] in thine house. |
3 | Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ. |
4 | I thank my God, always making mention of thee at my prayers, |
5 | hearing of thy love and the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints, |
6 | in such sort that thy participation in the faith should become operative in the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us towards Christ [Jesus]. |
7 | For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother. |
8 | Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting, |
9 | for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ. |
10 | I exhort thee for *my* child, whom I have begotten in [my] bonds, Onesimus, |
11 | once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me: |
12 | whom I have sent back to thee: [but do *thou* receive] him, that is, *my* bowels: |
13 | whom *I* was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings; |
14 | but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness: |
15 | for perhaps for this reason he has been separated [from thee] for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever; |
16 | not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord? |
17 | If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner [with thee], receive him as me; |
18 | but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything [to thee], put this to my account. |
19 | *I* Paul have written [it] with mine own hand; *I* will repay [it]: that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me. |
20 | Yea, brother, *I* would have profit of *thee* in [the] Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ. |
21 | Being confident of thine obedience, I have written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I say. |
22 | But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that I shall be granted to you through your prayers. |
23 | Epaphras salutes thee, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus; |
24 | Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workmen. |
25 | The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit. |