1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
2and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house:
3grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4I always thank my God, making mention of you in my prayers,
5hearing of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
6so that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for Christ.
7For I have had much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
8Therefore, though I have much boldness in Christ to command you to do what is fitting,
9for love’s sake I appeal to you instead — being such a one as Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus —
10I appeal to you concerning my child, whom I fathered while in chains, Onesimus,
11who once was useless to you but now is useful both to you and to me.
12I have sent him back to you — him, that is, my very heart —
13whom I wanted to keep with myself, so that he might serve me on your behalf in the chains of the gospel;
14but I wanted to do nothing without your consent, so that your good deed might not be as if by compulsion but of your own free will.
15For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a time, so that you might have him back forever —
16no 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.
17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would me.
18But if he has wronged you in anything or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
19I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it — not to mention that you owe me your very self as well.
20Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
22And at the same time, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given back to you.
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
24as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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