Philemon 1:3; Philemon 1:4; Philemon 1:5; Philemon 1:6; Philemon 1:7; Philemon 1:8; Philemon 1:9; Philemon 1:10; Philemon 1:11; Philemon 1:12; Philemon 1:13; Philemon 1:14; Philemon 1:15; Philemon 1:16; Philemon 1:17; Philemon 1:18; Philemon 1:19; Philemon 1:20; Philemon 1:21; Philemon 1:22; Philemon 1:23; Philemon 1:24

Philemon 1:3

3 May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philemon 1:4

4 I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,

Philemon 1:5

5 because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have towards the Lord Jesus and which you manifest towards all God's people;

Philemon 1:6

6 praying as I do, that their participation in your faith may result in others fully recognizing all the right affection that is in us toward Christ.

Philemon 1:7

7 For I have found great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of God's people have been, and are, refreshed through you, my brother.

Philemon 1:8

8 Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,

Philemon 1:9

9 it is for love's sake that--instead of that--although I am none other than Paul the aged, and am now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,

Philemon 1:10

10 I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.

Philemon 1:11

11 Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.

Philemon 1:12

12 I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.

Philemon 1:13

13 It was my wish to keep him at my side for him to attend to my wants, as your representative, during my imprisonment for the Good News.

Philemon 1:14

14 Only I wished to do nothing without your consent, so that his kind action of yours might not be done under pressure, but might be a voluntary one.

Philemon 1:15

15 For perhaps it was for this reason he was parted from you for a time, that you might receive him back wholly and for ever yours;

Philemon 1:16

16 no longer as a slave, but as something better than a slave--a brother peculiarly dear to me, and even dearer to you, both as a servant and as a fellow Christian.

Philemon 1:17

17 If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.

Philemon 1:18

18 And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.

Philemon 1:19

19 I Paul write this with my own hand--I will pay you in full. (I say nothing of the fact that you owe me even your own self.)

Philemon 1:20

20 Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.

Philemon 1:21

21 I write to you in the full confidence that you will meet my wishes, for I know you will do even more than I say.

Philemon 1:22

22 And at the same time provide accommodation for me; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be permitted to come to you.

Philemon 1:23

23 Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;

Philemon 1:24

24 and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.