Philemon 10-16

New American Standard Bible 1995

Plea for Onesimus, a Free Man

¹⁰ I ^(A)appeal to you for my ^(B)child ^[a](C)Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my ^[b]imprisonment, ¹¹ who formerly 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 wished to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my ^[c](D)imprisonment for the gospel; ¹⁴ but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would ^(E)not be, in effect, by compulsion but of your own free will. ¹⁵ For perhaps ^(F)he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, ^16 (G)no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, ^(H)a beloved brother, especially to me, but how much more to you, both ^(I)in the flesh and in the Lord.