1:1  Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved {brother} and fellow worker,

1:2  and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

1:3  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:4  I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,

1:5  because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;

1:6  {and I pray} that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.

1:7  For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

1:8  Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you {to do} what is proper,

1:9  yet for love's sake I rather appeal {to you}--since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus--

1:10  I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,

1:11  who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.

1:12  I have sent him back to you in person, that is, {sending} my very heart,

1:13  whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;

1:14  but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

1:15  For perhaps he was for this reason separated {from you} for a while, that you would have him back forever,

1:16  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.

1:17  If then you regard me a partner, accept him as {you would} me.

1:18  But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;

1:19  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (not to mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).

1:20  Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

1:21  Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

1:22  At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.

1:23  Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,

1:24  {as do} Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

1:25  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.