^22 [a](A)Slaves, obey those who are your ^[b]human masters in everything, ^(B)not with ^[c]eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³ Whatever you do, do your work ^[d]heartily, ^(C)as for the Lord and not for people, ^24 (D)knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward ^[e]of ^(E)the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you ^(F)serve.

¹⁶ “Now ^(A)one who ^[a]kidnaps someone, whether he sells him or he is found in his ^[b]possession, shall certainly be put to death.

¹⁵ “^(A)You shall not hand over to his master a slave who has ^[a]escaped from his master to you. ¹⁶ He shall live with you in your midst, in the place that he chooses in one of your ^[b]towns where it pleases him; ^(B)you shall not mistreat him.

⁸ Therefore, ^(A)though I have ^[a]enough confidence in Christ to order you to do what is ^(B)proper, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather ^(C)appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, ^[b]an ^(D)old man, and now also ^(E)a prisoner of ^(F)Christ Jesus—

Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man

¹⁰ I ^(G)appeal to you for my ^[c](H)son ^[d](I)Onesimus, whom I ^[e]fathered in my ^[f]imprisonment, ¹¹ who previously was useless to you, but now is useful both to you and to me. ¹² I have sent him back to you in person, that is, sending my very heart, ¹³ whom I wanted to keep with me, so that in your behalf he might be at my service in my ^[g](J)imprisonment for the gospel; ¹⁴ but I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness would ^(K)not be, in effect, by compulsion, but of your own free will. ¹⁵ For perhaps it was ^(L)for this reason that he was separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, ^16 (M)no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, ^(N)a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both ^(O)in the flesh and in the Lord.

¹⁷ If then you regard me as a ^(P)partner, accept him as you would me. ¹⁸ But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to my account; ^19 (Q)I, Paul, have written this with my own hand, I will repay it (^(R)not to ^[h]mention to you that you owe to me even your own self as well). ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; ^(S)refresh my heart in Christ.

^21 (T)Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, since I know that you will do even more than what I say.

²² At the same time also prepare me a ^(U)guest room, for ^(V)I hope that through ^(W)your prayers ^(X)I will be given to you.

^23 (Y)Epaphras, my ^(Z)fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you,