Greetings from Paul and His Coworkers

⁷ I’m sending Tychicus to you. He is our dear brother, trustworthy deacon, and partner in the Lord’s work. He will tell you everything that is happening to me. ⁸ I’m sending him to you so that you may know how we are doing and so that he may encourage you. ⁹ I’m sending Onesimus with him. Onesimus is from your city and is our faithful and dear brother. They will tell you about everything that’s happening here.

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.