Chapter 1

PHM 1:1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to Philemon our beloved brother and fellow worker,
PHM 1:2 and to Apphia our sister, and to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
PHM 1:3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
PHM 1:4 I thank my God always, making mention of you in my prayers,
PHM 1:5 because I hear of your love, and of the faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all the saints;
PHM 1:6 and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake.
PHM 1:7 For I have come to have much joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.
PHM 1:8 Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper,
PHM 1:9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you - - since I am such a person as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus - -
PHM 1:10 I appeal to you for my child, whom I have begotten in my imprisonment, Onesimus,
PHM 1:11 who formerly was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me.
PHM 1:12 And I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart,
PHM 1:13 whom I wished to keep with me, that in your behalf he might minister to me in my imprisonment for the gospel;
PHM 1:14 but without your consent I did not want to do anything, that your goodness should not be as it were by compulsion, but of your own free will.
PHM 1:15 For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should have him back forever,
PHM 1:16 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.
PHM 1:17 If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me.
PHM 1:18 But if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account;
PHM 1:19 I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand, I will repay it (lest I should mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well).
PHM 1:20 Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.
PHM 1:21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.
PHM 1:22 And at the same time also prepare me a lodging; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be given to you.
PHM 1:23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,
PHM 1:24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.
PHM 1:25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.