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 lies 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 receives refreshment through you, brother.

1:8   Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what we consider proper,

1:9   yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you--since I make this request 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 proved useless to you, but now has usefulness both to you and to me.

1:12   I have sent him back to you in person, namely, 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 result, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will.

1:15   For perhaps he for this reason separated himself 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, write 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 come 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 accompanies your spirit.