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.
The King of Glory
A Psalm of David.
1 oThe earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,1
pthe world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3 qWho shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 He who has rclean hands and a spure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,
7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, umighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
