1 Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon the beloved and our fellow-workman,2 and to the sister Apphia and to Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the assembly which {is} in thine house.3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and {the} Lord Jesus Christ.4 I thank my God, always making mention of thee at my prayers,5 hearing of thy love and the faith which thou hast towards the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints,6 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}.7 For we have great thankfulness and encouragement through thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.8 Wherefore having much boldness in Christ to enjoin thee what is fitting,9 for love's sake I rather exhort, being such a one as Paul the aged, and now also prisoner of Jesus Christ.10 I exhort thee for *my* child, whom I have begotten in {my} bonds, Onesimus,11 once unserviceable to thee, but now serviceable to thee and to me:12 whom I have sent back to thee: {but do *thou* receive} him, that is, *my* bowels:13 whom *I* was desirous of keeping with myself, that for thee he might minister to me in the bonds of the glad tidings;14 but I have wished to do nothing without thy mind, that thy good might not be as of necessity but of willingness:15 for perhaps for this reason he has been separated {from thee} for a time, that thou mightest possess him fully for ever;16 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?17 If therefore thou holdest me to be a partner {with thee}, receive him as me;18 but if he have wronged thee anything or owe anything {to thee}, put this to my account.19 *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.20 Yea, brother, *I* would have profit of *thee* in {the} Lord: refresh my bowels in Christ.21 Being confident of thine obedience, I have written to thee, knowing that thou wilt do even more than I say.22 But withal prepare me also a lodging; for I hope that I shall be granted to you through your prayers.23 Epaphras salutes thee, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus;24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-workmen.25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ {be} with your spirit.

1 Paulus, 'n gevangene van Christus Jesus, en die broeder Timothes, aan Fil,mon, die geliefde en ons medearbeider,2 en aan Appia, die geliefde suster, en aan Arch¡ppus, ons medestryder, en aan die gemeente wat in jou huis is:3 Genade vir julle en vrede van God onse Vader en die Here Jesus Christus!4 Ek dank my God altyd wanneer ek aan jou in my gebede dink,5 omdat ek van jou liefde en geloof hoor, wat jy met betrekking tot die Here Jesus en al die heiliges het,6 dat die gemeenskap van jou geloof kragtig mag word deur die kennis van alles wat goed in julle is, tot eer van Christus Jesus.7 Want ons het groot blydskap en troos oor jou liefde, omdat deur jou, broeder, die harte van die heiliges verkwik is.8 Daarom, al het ek baie vrymoedigheid in Christus om jou te beveel wat betaamlik is,9 pleit ek liewer ter wille van die liefde. Ek, Paulus, as 'n ou man en nou ook 'n gevangene van Jesus Christus,10 pleit by jou vir my kind, On,simus, wat ek verwek het in my boeie,11 wat vroeër vir jou nutteloos was, maar nou baie nuttig vir jou en vir my. Ek stuur hom terug;12 maar neem jy hom, dit is my eie hart, aan.13 Ek wou hom by my hou, sodat hy my in die boeie van die evangelie in jou plek kan dien.14 Maar sonder jou goedkeuring wou ek niks doen nie, sodat jou goedheid nie uit dwang sou wees nie, maar uit vrye keuse.15 Want miskien is hy om hierdie rede 'n tydjie van jou geskei, dat jy hom vir altyd kan besit,16 nie meer as 'n slaaf nie, maar m,,r as 'n slaaf, as 'n geliefde broeder in die vlees sowel as in die Here, veral vir my, hoeveel te meer vir jou.17 As jy my dan vir 'n metgesel hou, neem hom aan net soos vir my.18 En as hy jou benadeel het of iets skuld, sit dit op my rekening --19 ek, Paulus, het dit met my eie hand geskrywe: ek sal betaal -- om nie te sê jou rekening nie, want jy is daarby jou eie persoon ook aan my verskuldig.20 Ja, broeder, mag ek tog van jou voordeel trek in die Here! Verkwik my hart in die Here.21 In vertroue op jou gehoorsaamheid het ek aan jou geskrywe, omdat ek weet dat jy nog meer sal doen as wat ek sê.22 En berei tegelykertyd ook herberg vir my, want ek hoop dat ek op julle gebede aan julle sal geskenk word.23 pafras, my medegevangene in Christus Jesus, groet jou;24 ook Markus, Arist rchus, Demas en Lukas, my mede-arbeiders.25 Die genade van onse Here Jesus Christus sy met julle gees! Amen.