May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be<n id="1" /> with your spirit.<n id="2" />p>

to Apphia<n id="1" /> our sister,<n id="2" /> to Archippus our<n id="3" /> fellow soldier, and to the church that meets in your house.

I pray<n id="1" /> that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing<n id="2" /> that belongs to you<n id="3" /> in Christ.<n id="4" />

because I hear<n id="1" /> of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love<n id="2" /> for all the saints.<n id="3" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">I always thank my God<n id="1" /> as I remember you in my prayers,<n id="2" />

I am appealing<n id="1" /> to you concerning my child, whose spiritual father I have become<n id="2" /> during my imprisonment,<n id="3" /> that is, Onesimus,

I<n id="1" /> have had great joy and encouragement because<n id="2" /> of your love, for the hearts<n id="3" /> of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.p>

Mark, Aristarchus,<n id="1" /> Demas<n id="2" /> and Luke, my colaborers, greet you too.

<t /><p class="bodytext">From Paul,<n id="1" /> a prisoner of Christ Jesus,<n id="2" /> and Timothy our<n id="3" /> brother, to Philemon, our dear friend<n id="4" /> and colaborer,

I wanted to keep him so that he could serve me in your place<n id="1" /> during<n id="2" /> my imprisonment for the sake of the gospel.<n id="3" />

However,<n id="1" /> without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your good deed would not be out of compulsion, but from your own willingness.

<t /><p class="bodytext">So, although I have quite a lot of confidence in Christ and could command you to do what is proper,

who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you<n id="1" /> and me.

I have sent<n id="1" /> him (who is my very heart)<n id="2" /> back to you.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Epaphras,<n id="1" /> my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you.

I would rather appeal<n id="1" /> to you on the basis of love &#8211; I, Paul, an old man<n id="2" /> and even now a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus<n id="3" /> &#8211;

Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.<n id="1" />

Since I was confident that you would obey, I wrote to you, because I knew that you would do even more than<n id="1" /> what I am asking you to do.

At the same time also, prepare a place for me to stay, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given back to you.p>

I, Paul, have written<n id="1" /> this letter<n id="2" /> with my own hand:<n id="3" /> I will repay it. I could also mention that you owe<n id="4" /> me your very self.