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¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,² to the beloved [fn] Apphia, 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, making mention of you always in my prayers,⁵ hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you [fn] in Christ Jesus. ⁷ For we have [fn] great joy [fn] and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

⁸ Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,⁹ yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you--being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ--¹⁰ I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains,¹¹ who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me. ¹² I am sending him back. [fn] You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, ¹³ whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.¹⁴ But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary. ¹⁵ For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him 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 count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.¹⁸ But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay--not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. ²¹ Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.²² But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you. ²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. ²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.