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. |