Chapter 1

  Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,  

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  and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which [is] in thine house.  

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  Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and [the] Lord Jesus Christ.  

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  I thank my God, always making mention of thee at my prayers,  

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  hearing of thy love and the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints,  

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  in such sort that thy participation in the faith should become operative in the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in us towards Christ [Jesus].  

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  For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.  

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  Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,  

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  for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.  

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  I exhort thee for my child, whom I have begotten in [my] bonds, Onesimus,  

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  once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:  

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  whom I have sent back to thee: [but do thou receive] him, that is, my bowels:  

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  whom I was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings;  

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  but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:  

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  for perhaps for this reason he has been separated [from thee] for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever;  

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  not any longer as a bondman, but above a bondman, a beloved brother, specially to me, and how much rather to thee, both in [the] flesh and in [the] Lord?  

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  If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner [with thee], receive him as me;  

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  but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything [to thee], put this to my account.  

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  I Paul have written [it] with mine own hand; I will repay [it]: that I say not to thee that thou owest even thine own self also to me.  

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  Yea, brother, I would have profit of thee in [the] Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ.  

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  Being confident of thine obedience, I have written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I say.  

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  But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that I shall be granted to you through your prayers.  

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  Epaphras salutes thee, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;  

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  Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workmen.  

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  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with your spirit.  

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