Philemon - Chapter 1

Greeting

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy [our] brother, To Philemon our beloved [friend] and fellow laborer,

² to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

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

⁴ I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

⁵ hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

⁷ For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

⁸ Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,

⁹ [yet] for love's sake I rather appeal [to you -- being] such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ --

¹⁰ I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten [while] in my chains,

¹¹ who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart,

¹³ whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

¹⁴ But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

¹⁵ For perhaps he departed for a while for this [purpose,] that you might receive him forever,

¹⁶ no longer as a slave but more than a slave -- a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷ If then you count me as a partner, receive him as [you would] me.

¹⁸ But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.

¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay -- not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.

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

²¹ Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

²² But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

²⁴ [as do] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit. Amen.