1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,
1:2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:
1:3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1:4 I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,
1:5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
1:6 I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.
1:7 I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.
1:8 So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,
1:9 I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.
1:10 I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.
1:11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
1:12 I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.
1:13 I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.
1:14 But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.
1:15 For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good;
1:16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.
1:17 So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.
1:18 But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.
1:19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it; not to mention that you owe me your very self.
1:20 Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
1:21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
1:22 In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.
1:23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,
1:24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
1:25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.