1 Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ, and Timothy, our brother, to Philemon, our dearly beloved fellow worker.
2 Also to our beloved Apphia and Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the congregation in your house.
3 May grace and peace be yours from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God--always mentioning you in my prayers--
5 hearing of your love and faith, which you have for the Lord Jesus and all God's people.
6 That the fellowship of your faith may be effective by acknowledging every good thing, which is in you because of Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and comfort by your love, because the hearts of God's people have been refreshed by you, brother.
8 Therefore, though I can be very assertive in Christ to command you to do what is right,
9 yet for love's sake, I would rather plead with you, I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for Jesus Christ.
10 I plead with you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,
11 whom in times past was of no profit to you but now is profitable to you and to me.
12 I send [him] back [to you]. Therefore welcome him, that is, my own heart.
13 I would have kept him with me, so that in your place he could have helped me in [this] imprisonment for the gospel,
14 but without your opinion I don't want to do anything, so that your help to me shouldn't be from duress but willingly.
15 Perhaps he left you for a time, so that you would have him back forever, Phm 1:16 not as a servant but more than a servant, now a dearly loved brother especially to me but how much more to you both in the flesh and in the Lord?
16
17 Therefore, if you consider me as a partner, receive him as you would me.
18 If he has wronged you or owns anything, put it on my account.
19 I, Paul, have written [this] with my own hand, "I will repay." Although I must say to you how much you own me, even your own life.
20 Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in the Lord.
21 Having confidence in your obedience, I wrote to you knowing that you will also do more than I ask.
22 Also prepare for me a place to stay, for I trust that through your prayers, I will be given to you.
23 Say hello to Epaphras, my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus,
24 [and] Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.