Greeting

¹ From Paul, who is a prisoner for Christ Yeshua, and our brother Timothy.

To our dear coworker Philemon, ² our sister Apphia, our fellow soldier Archippus, and the church that meets in your house.

³ Good will^[a] and peace from God our Father and the Lord Yeshua Christ are yours!

Paul’s Prayer for Philemon

⁴ Philemon, I always thank my God when I mention you in my prayers because ⁵ I hear about your faithfulness to the Lord Yeshua and your love for all of God’s people. ⁶ As you share the faith you have in common with others, I pray that you may come to have a complete knowledge of every blessing we have in Christ. ⁷ Your love for God’s people gives me a lot of joy and encouragement. You, brother, have comforted God’s people.

Paul’s Advice about Onesimus

⁸ Christ makes me bold enough to order you to do the right thing. ⁹ However, I would prefer to make an appeal on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an old man and now a prisoner for Christ Yeshua, ¹⁰ appeal to you for my child Onesimus [Useful]. I became his spiritual father here in prison. ¹¹ Once he was useless to you, but now he is very useful to both of us.

¹² I am sending him back to you. This is like sending you a part of myself. ¹³ I wanted to keep him here with me. Then he could have served me in your place while I am in prison for spreading the Good News. ¹⁴ Yet, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent. I want you to do this favor for me out of your own free will without feeling forced to do it.

¹⁵ Maybe Onesimus was gone for a while so that you could have him back forever— ¹⁶ no longer as a slave but better than a slave—as a dear brother. He is especially dear to me, but even more so to you, both as a person and as a Christian.

¹⁷ If you think of me as your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. ¹⁸ If he wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to me. ¹⁹ I, Paul, promise to pay it back. I’m writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your life. ²⁰ So, because we’re brothers in the Lord, do something for me. Give me some comfort because of Christ. ²¹ I am confident as I write to you that you will do this. And I know that you will do even more than I ask.

²² One more thing—have a guest room ready for me. I hope that, because of your prayers, God will give me back to you.

Greetings from Paul’s Coworkers

²³ Epaphras, who is a prisoner because of Christ Yeshua like I am, ²⁴ and my coworkers Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke send you greetings.

²⁵ The good will of our Lord Yeshua Christ be yours.