[1] Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,
[2] and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
[3] Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
[4] I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
[5] because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints;
[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.
[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.
[8] Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is proper,
[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—
[10] I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment,
[11] who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
[12] I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
[13] whom I wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
[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.
[15] For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever,
[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.
[17] If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.
[18] But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account;
[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).
[20] Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
[21] Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
[22] At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.
[23] Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
[24] as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.
[25] The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.