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[1]PAUL, a prisoner of Jesus the Messiah, and Timothy a brother; to the beloved Philemon, a laborer with us,
[2]and to our beloved Apphia, and to Archippus a laborer with us, and to the church in thy house.
[3]Grace be with you, and peace from God our father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
[4]I thank my God always, and remember thee in my prayers,
[5]lo, from the time that I heard of thy faith, and of the love thou hast towards our Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints;
[6]that there may be a fellowship of thy faith, yielding fruits in works, and in the knowledge of all the good things ye possess in Jesus the Messiah.
[7]For we have great joy and consolation, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thy love.
[8]Therefore I might have great freedom In the Messiah, to enjoin upon thee the things that are right.
[9]But for love's sake, I earnestly beseech thee even I, Paul, who am aged, as thou knowest, and now also a prisoner for Jesus the Messiah.
[10]I beseech thee for my son, whom I had begotten in my bonds for Onesimus;
[11]from whom formerly thou hadst no profit, but now very profitable will he be both to thee and to me; and whom I have sent to thee.
[12]And receive thou him, as one begotten by me.
[13]For I was desirous to retain him with me, that he might minister to me in thy stead, in these bonds for the gospel.
[14]But I would do nothing without consulting thee; lest thy benefit should be as if by compulsion, and not with thy pleasure.
[15]And, perhaps, also, he therefore departed from thee for a season, that thou mightest retain him for ever;
[16]henceforth, not as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother dear to me, and much more to thee, both in the flesh and in our Lord?
[17]If therefore thou art in fellowship with me, receive him as one of mine.
[18]And if he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, place it to my account.
[19]I, Paul, have written [it] with my own hand, I will repay: not to say to thee, that to me thou owest thy ownself.
[20]Yes, my brother, let me be refreshed by thee in our Lord: refresh thou my bowels in the Messiah.
[21]Being confident that thou wilt hearken to me, I have written to thee: and I know that thou wilt do more than I say.
[22]And herewith, prepare also a house for me to lodge in; for I hope that, by your prayers, I shall be given to you.
[23]Epaphras, a fellow-captive with me in Jesus the Messiah, saluteth thee;
[24]and Mark, and Aristarchus, and Demas, and Luke, my coadjutors.
[25]The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with your spirit, my brethren. Amen.End of the Epistle to Philemon; which was written from Rome, and was sent by the hands of Onesimus.
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