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¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker,² and Apphia the beloved, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and the assembly in your house:³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!⁴ I give thanks to my God, always making mention of you in my prayers,⁵ hearing of your love and faith that you have to the Lord Jesus and toward all the holy ones,⁶ that the fellowship of your faith may become working in the full knowledge of every good thing that [is] in you toward Christ Jesus;⁷ for we have much joy and comfort in your love, because the yearnings of the holy ones have been refreshed through you, brother.

⁸ For this reason, having in Christ much boldness to command you that which is fit—⁹ because of the love I rather plead, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ;¹⁰ I beg you concerning my child—whom I begot in my bonds—Onesimus,¹¹ who once was to you unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to you,¹² whom I sent again to you—he who is my own heart,¹³ whom I intended to retain to myself, that in your behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the good news,¹⁴ but apart from your mind I willed to do nothing, so that your good deed may not be as of necessity, but of willingness,¹⁵ for perhaps because of this he departed for an hour, that you may have him continuously,¹⁶ no longer as a servant, but above a servant—a beloved brother, especially to me, and how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the LORD!¹⁷ If, then, you have fellowship with me, receive him as me,¹⁸ and if he did hurt to you, or owes anything, charge this to me;¹⁹ I, Paul, wrote with my hand, I will repay; besides, that I may not say that you also owe to me yourself.²⁰ Yes, brother, may I have profit of you in the LORD; refresh my yearnings in the LORD;²¹ I wrote to you having been confident in your obedience, having known that you will also do above what I may say;²² and at the same time also prepare for me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be granted to you.²³ Epaphras greets you (my fellow-captive in Christ Jesus),²⁴ Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow-workmen!²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [is] with your spirit! Amen.