Philemon 8-14

Legacy Standard Bible

⁸ Therefore, ^(A)though I have much boldness in Christ to command you to do what is ^(B)proper, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather ^(C)plead with you—since I am such a person as Paul, ^[a]the ^(D)aged, and now also ^(E)a prisoner of ^(F)Christ Jesus—

Plea for Onesimus

¹⁰ I ^(G)plead with you for my ^(H)child ^[b](I)Onesimus, of whom I became a ^[c]father in my chains, 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, my very heart, ¹³ whom I intended to keep with me, so that on your behalf he might minister to me in my ^(J)chains for the gospel, ¹⁴ but without your consent I did not want to do anything, so that your goodness would ^(K)not be, in effect, by compulsion but voluntarily.