Philemon 1Book 57 of 66 · 25 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending

  1. Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon — our beloved friend and fellow worker —
  2. and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house:
  3. Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
  4. I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers,
  5. because I keep hearing of your love and of the faith you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints.
  6. And I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective — through the full knowledge of every good thing that is in us for Christ's sake.
  7. For I have had much joy and encouragement from your love, brother — because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you.
  8. Therefore, although I have plenty of boldness in Christ to order you to do what is fitting,
  9. yet for love's sake I prefer to appeal to you. I — Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus —
  10. I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my chains: Onesimus.
  11. Once he was useless to you — but now he has become truly useful, both to you and to me.
  12. I am sending him back to you — that is, my own heart.
  13. I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he might serve me in my chains for the gospel.
  14. But without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be by compulsion, but of your own free will.
  15. For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a little while — so that you might have him back 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. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
  18. And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.
  19. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it — without mentioning that you owe me even your own self.
  20. Yes, brother — let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.
  21. Confident of your obedience, I write to you — knowing that you will do even more than I say.
  22. And one thing more — prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be given back to you.
  23. Epaphras — my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus — sends you greetings,
  24. as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke — my fellow workers.
  25. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.