ܞ

 1 PAUL, a prisoner of Jesus the Messiah, and Timothy a brother; to the beloved Philemon, a laborer with us,
 2 and to our beloved Apphia, and to Archippus a laborer with us, and to the church in thy house.
 3 Grace be with you, and peace from God our father, and from our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
 4 I thank my God always, and remember thee in my prayers,
 5 lo, from the time that I heard of thy faith, and of the love thou hast towards our Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints;
 6 that there may be a fellowship of thy faith, yielding fruits in works, and in the knowledge of all the good things ye possess in Jesus the Messiah.
 7 For we have great joy and consolation, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thy love.
 8 Therefore I might have great freedom In the Messiah, to enjoin upon thee the things that are right.
 9 But for love's sake, I earnestly beseech theeeven I, Paul, who am aged, as thou knowest, and now also a prisoner for Jesus the Messiah.
10 I beseech thee for my son, whom I had begotten in my bondsfor Onesimus;
11 from whom formerly thou hadst no profit, but now very profitable will he be both to thee and to me; and whom I have sent to thee.
12 And receive thou him, as one begotten by me.
13 For I was desirous to retain him with me, that he might minister to me in thy stead, in these bonds for the gospel.
14 But I would do nothing without consulting thee; lest thy benefit should be as if by compulsion, and not with thy pleasure.
15 And, perhaps, also, he therefore departed from thee for a season, that thou mightest retain him for ever;
16 henceforth, not as a servant, but more than a servant, a brother dear to me, and much more to thee, both in the flesh and in our Lord ?
17 If therefore thou art in fellowship with me, receive him as one of mine.
18 And if he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee aught, place it to my account.
19 I, Paul, have written [it] with my own hand, I will repay: not to say to thee, that to me thou owest thy ownself.
20 Yes, my brother, let me be refreshed by thee in our Lord: refresh thou my bowels in the Messiah.
21 Being confident that thou wilt hearken to me, I have written to thee: and I know that thou wilt do more than I say.
22 And herewith, prepare also a house for me to lodge in; for I hope that, by your prayers, I shall be given to you.
23 Epaphras, a fellow-captive with me in Jesus the Messiah, saluteth thee;
24 and Mark, and Aristarchus, and Demas, and Luke, my coadjutors.
25 The grace of our Lord Jesus the Messiah be with your spirit, my brethren. Amen.

End of the Epistle to Philemon; which was written from Rome, and was sent by the hands of Onesimus.