Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, our brother,
to Philemon, our beloved and a fellow worker,
to Apphia, our sister,
to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

Grace to you and peace, from God our Father and Lord Jesus Christ. 1/3

I always thank my God – mentioning you in my prayers – when I hear of your love and of the faith you have toward the Lord Jesus and for all the holy. I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become active with an understanding of all the good that is in us for Christ. For I have had much joy and encouragement from your love, brother, because the hearts of the holy have been refreshed through you. Having in Christ, then, full liberty of speech to command to you your duty, because of your love I would rather encourage. 1/9

Being such as I am, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus, I encourage you on behalf of my child Onesimus, whom I fathered while in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me, and I have sent him back to you, he who is of my heart. I wanted to keep him beside me, so that he could serve me on your behalf while I am in chains for the gospel. But without your opinion, I have not intended to do anything, so that this goodness of yours would not be from necessity but from choice. Perhaps because of this he was separated from you briefly, so that you might have him back eternally, no longer as a slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother, especially to me and much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. 1/16

So then, if you have me as a partner, receive him as you would me. And if he has wronged you or he owes you anything, charge this to me. I, Paul, have written with my own hand: I will pay it back. So I don't say to you that, in addition, you owe me yourself also. Yes, brother, may I have some help from you in the Lord? Refresh my heart in Christ. 1/20

Confident of your obedience, I have written to you knowing that you will do even more than I say. And at the same time, make ready a room for me also, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. 1/22

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you, and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.