1:1 |
Paul,
a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon, our dear
helper in the faith, |
1:2 |
And
to Apphia, our sister, and to Archippus, our brother in God's army, and to
the church in your house: |
1:3 |
Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
1:4 |
I give
praise to God at all times and make prayer for you, |
1:5 |
Hearing
of the love and the faith which you have to the Lord Jesus and to all the
saints; |
1:6 |
That
the faith which you have in common with them may be working with power, in
the knowledge of every good thing in you, for Christ. |
1:7 |
For
I had great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints
have been made strong again through you, brother. |
1:8 |
And
so, though I might, in the name of Christ, give you orders to do what is
right, |
1:9 |
Still,
because of love, in place of an order, I make a request to you, I, Paul, an
old man and now a prisoner of Christ Jesus: |
1:10 |
My
request is for my child Onesimus, the child of my chains, |
1:11 |
Who
in the past was of no profit to you, but now is of profit to you and to
me: |
1:12 |
Whom I have
sent back to you, him who is my very heart: |
1:13 |
Though
my desire was to keep him with me, to be my servant in the chains of the good
news, in your place: |
1:14 |
But
without your approval I would do nothing; so that your good works might not
be forced, but done freely from your heart. |
1:15 |
For
it is possible that for this reason he was parted from you for a time, so
that you might have him for ever; |
1:16 |
No
longer as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother, very dear to me
specially, but much more to you, in the flesh as well as in the Lord. |
1:17 |
If
then you take me to be your friend and brother, take him in as myself. |
1:18 |
If
he has done you any wrong or is in debt to you for anything, put it to my
account. |
1:19 |
I,
Paul, writing this myself, say, I will make payment to you: and I do not say
to you that you are in debt to me even for your life. |
1:20 |
So
brother, let me have joy of you in the Lord: give new life to my heart in
Christ. |
1:21 |
Being
certain that you will do my desire, I am writing to you, in the knowledge
that you will do even more than I say. |
1:22 |
And
make a room ready for me; for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be
given to you. |
1:23 |
Epaphras,
my brother-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you his love; |
1:24 |
And
so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my brother-workers. |
1:25 |
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. So be it. |
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