¹ From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a Brother.

² To our dear friend and fellow-worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow-soldier Archippus; and to the Church that meets at Philemon’s house;

³ may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.

Request regarding runaway slave

⁴ I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,

⁵ because I hear of the love and the faith which you show, not only to the Lord Jesus, but also to all his People;

⁶ and I pray that your participation in the Faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realisation of everything that is good and Christlike in us.

⁷ I have indeed found great joy and encouragement in your love, knowing, as I do, how the hearts of Christ’s People have been cheered, brother, by you.

⁸ And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,

⁹ yet the claims of love make me prefer to plead with you — yes, even me, Paul, though I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus and, now a prisoner for him as well.

¹⁰ I plead with you for this Child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a Father.

¹¹ Once he was of little service to you, but now he has become of great service, not only to you, but to me as well;

¹² and I am sending him back to you with this letter — though it is like tearing out of my very heart.

¹³ For my own sake I should like to keep him with me, so that, while I am in prison for the Good News, he might attend to my wants on your behalf.

¹⁴ But I do not wish to do anything without your consent, because I want your generosity to be voluntary and not, as it were, compulsory.

¹⁵ It may be that he was separated from you for an hour, for this very reason, that you might have him back for ever,

¹⁶ no longer as a slave, but as something better — a dearly loved Brother, especially dear to me, and how much more so to you, not only as your fellow man, but as your fellow Christian!

¹⁷ If, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.

¹⁸ If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me.

¹⁹ I, Paul, put my own hand to it — I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your very self.

²⁰ Yes, Brother, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.

²¹ Even as I write, I have such confidence in your compliance with my wishes, that I am sure that you will do even more than I am asking.

²² Please also get a lodging ready for me, for I hope that I shall be given back to you all in answer to your prayers.

Messages and Blessing

²³ Epaphras, who is my fellow-prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;

²⁴ and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow-workers, send theirs.

²⁵ May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.