Philemon 1:1-13 ▼

1 PAUL, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy a brother, to Philemon the beloved, and our fellow-labourer,

2 and to Apphia the beloved, and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church at thy house:

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

4 I thank my God always, making mention of thee in my prayers,

5 hearing of thy love and faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and unto all the saints;

6 that there may be an operative communication of thy faith made known by every good thing, which is in you towards Jesus Christ.

7 For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother.

8 Wherefore, though I have in Christ great liberty to enjoin thee what is becoming,

9 I rather for love's sake entreat, being such as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner for Jesus Christ.

10 I entreat thee for my son, whom I have begotten during my bonds, Onesimus:

11 who in time past hath been an unprofitable servant to thee, but now very profitable to thee and to me:

12 whom I have sent back; thou therefore receive him, even as my own bowels:

13 whom I wished to detain about myself, that in thy stead he might have waited upon me during my bonds for the gospel: