Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy the brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker,
and to Apphia the sister, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly in thy house:
grace to you and peace from God our Father and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always making mention of thee in my prayers,
hearing of thy love and of the faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
so that the fellowship of thy faith may become effectual in the acknowledgment of every good thing that is in us toward Christ.
For we have great joy and encouragement in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed through thee, brother.
Wherefore, having much boldness to enjoin thee what is befitting,
for love’s sake I rather entreat, being such a one as Paul aged and now also prisoner of Christ Jesus.
I entreat thee for my child whom I begot in bonds, Onesimus,
the once unprofitable to thee but now profitable both to thee and to me;
whom I send back to thee, in person, that is my bowels;
whom I could wish to have kept with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the gospel.
But without thy mind I would do nothing, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness.
For perhaps he was therefore parted for a time that thou mightest have him forever,
no longer as a bondman but above a bondman, a brother beloved, specially to me but how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord.
If then thou countest me a partner, receive him as me.
But if he wronged thee or oweth thee aught, put this to my account:
I Paul write with mine own hand, I will repay; that I say not to thee that thou owest to me besides even thine own self.
Yea, brother, let me have profit of thee in [the] Lord; refresh my bowels in Christ.
Having confidence of thine obedience I write to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even beyond what I say.
But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.
Epaphras, my fellow-captive in Christ Jesus, saluteth thee;
Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workers.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.