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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.
