Greeting

1 Paul, a ^aprisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved fellow worker 2 and Apphia our sister and ^bArchippus our ^cfellow soldier, and ^dthe church in your house:

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

Philemon’s Love and Faith

4 ^eI thank my God always when I ^fremember you in my prayers, 5 because ^gI hear of your love and of the faith that you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the saints, 6 and I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective for the full ^hknowledge of every good thing that is in us for the sake of Christ.¹ 7 For ⁱI have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.

Paul’s Plea for Onesimus

8 Accordingly, though I am ^jbold enough in Christ to command you to do what is required, 9 yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—I, Paul, an old man and now a prisoner also for Christ Jesus— 10 ^kI appeal to you for my child, ^lOnesimus,² whose ^mfather I became in my imprisonment. 11 (Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me.) 12 I am sending him back to you, sending my very heart. 13 I would have been glad to keep him with me, ⁿin order that he might serve me on your behalf during my imprisonment for the gospel, 14 but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your goodness might ^onot be by compulsion but of your own accord. 15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, 16 ^pno longer as a bondservant³ but more than a bondservant, as a beloved ^qbrother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your ^rpartner, receive him as you would receive me. 18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. 19 ^sI, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self. 20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 ^tConfident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do ^ueven more than I say. 22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for ^vI am hoping that ^wthrough your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

Final Greetings

23 ^xEpaphras, my ^yfellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, 24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, ^zDemas, and ^aLuke, my fellow workers.

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

Our Help Is in the Name of the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.