Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy, who is their brother, to the well beloved Philemon, who shares our labours,

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy, a brother: to Philemon, our beloved and fellow labourer;

Paulus vinctus Christi Jesu, et Timotheus frater, Philemoni dilecto, et adjutori nostro,

and to all the church that is in his household, to our dear sister Appia, Archippus, who fights the same battle with ourselves, and the rest;

And to Appia, our dearest sister, and to Archippus, our fellow soldier, and to the church which is in thy house:

et Appiæ sorori carissimæ, et Archippo commilitoni nostro, et ecclesiæ, quæ in domo tua est.

Grace and peace be yours from God, our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Gratia vobis, et pax a Deo Patre nostro, et Domino Jesu Christo.

I give thanks to my God at all times, remembering thee in my prayers;

I give thanks to my God, always making a remembrance of thee in my prayers.

Gratias ago Deo meo, semper memoriam tui faciens in orationibus meis,

such accounts I hear of the love and faith thou shewest towards the Lord Jesus and towards all the saints.

Hearing of thy charity and faith, which thou hast in the Lord Jesus, and towards all the saints:

audiens caritatem tuam, et fidem, quam habes in Domino Jesu, et in omnes sanctos:

May thy generosity in the faith be made known, when all your good actions are recognized in Christ Jesus.

That the communication of thy faith may be made evident in the acknowledgment of every good work, that is in you in Christ Jesus.

ut communicatio fidei tuæ evidens fiat in agnitione omnis operis boni, quod est in vobis in Christo Jesu.

It has been a happiness and a comfort to me to hear of thy charity, brother, and of the refreshment thou hast brought to the hearts of the saints.

For I have had great joy and consolation in thy charity, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed by thee, brother.

Gaudium enim magnum habui, et consolationem in caritate tua: quia viscera sanctorum requieverunt per te, frater.

And now, though I might well make bold in Christ to prescribe a duty to thee,

Wherefore though I have much confidence in Christ Jesus, to command thee that which is to the purpose:

Propter quod multam fiduciam habens in Christo Jesu imperandi tibi quod ad rem pertinet:

I prefer to appeal to this charity of thine. Who is it that writes to thee? Paul, an old man now, and in these days the prisoner, too, of Jesus Christ;

For charity sake I rather beseech, whereas thou art such a one, as Paul an old man, and now a prisoner also of Jesus Christ.

propter caritatem magis obsecro, cum sis talis, ut Paulus senex, nunc autem et vinctus Jesu Christi:

and I am appealing to thee on behalf of Onesimus, the child of my imprisonment.

I beseech thee for my son, whom I have begotten in my bands, Onesimus,

obsecro te pro meo filio, quem genui in vinculis, Onesimo,

He did thee an ill service once; now, both to thee and to myself, he can be serviceable,

Who hath been heretofore unprofitable to thee, but now is profitable both to me and thee,

qui tibi aliquando inutilis fuit, nunc autem et mihi et tibi utilis,

and I am sending him back to thee; make him welcome, for my heart goes with him.

Whom I have sent back to thee. And do thou receive him as my own bowels.

quem remisi tibi. Tu autem illum, ut mea viscera, suscipe:

I would sooner have kept him here with me, to attend, as thy deputy, on a prisoner of the gospel,

Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered to me in the bands of the gospel:

quem ego volueram mecum detinere, ut pro te mihi ministraret in vinculis Evangelii:

but I would do nothing without thy leave; thy generosity should be exercised freely, not from lack of choice.

But without thy counsel I would do nothing: that thy good deed might not be as it were of necessity, but voluntary.

sine consilio autem tuo nihil volui facere, uti ne velut ex necessitate bonum tuum esset, sed voluntarium.

Perhaps, after all, the very purpose of thy losing him for a time was that thou mightest have him always by thee.

For perhaps he therefore departed for a season from thee, that thou mightest receive him again for ever:

Forsitan enim ideo discessit ad horam a te, ut æternum illum reciperes:

Do not think of him any longer as a slave; he is something more than a slave, a well loved brother, to me in a special way; much more, then, to thee, now that both nature and Christ make him thy own.

Not now as a servant, but instead of a servant, a most dear brother, especially to me: but how much more to thee both in the flesh and in the Lord?

jam non ut servum, sed pro servo carissimum fratrem, maxime mihi: quanto autem magis tibi et in carne, et in Domino?

As thou dost value thy fellowship with me, make him welcome as thou wouldst myself;

If therefore thou count me a partner, receive him as myself.

Si ergo habes me socium, suscipe illum sicut me:

if he has wronged thee, or is in thy debt, make me answerable for it.

And if he hath wronged thee in any thing, or is in thy debt, put that to my account.

si autem aliquid nocuit tibi, aut debet, hoc mihi imputa.

Here is a message in Paul’s own hand; I will make it good. Not to remind thee that thou owest me a debt already, thy own self.

I Paul have written it with my own hand: I will repay it: not to say to thee, that thou owest me thy own self also.

Ego Paulus scripsi mea manu: ego reddam, ut non dicam tibi, quod et teipsum mihi debes:

And now, brother, let me claim thy services; give comfort in the Lord to my anxious heart.

Yea, brother. May I enjoy thee in the Lord. Refresh my bowels in the Lord.

ita, frater. Ego te fruar in Domino: refice viscera mea in Domino.

I write to thee counting on thy obedience, well assured that thou wilt do even more than I ask.

Trusting in thy obedience, I have written to thee: knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

Confidens in obedientia tua scripsi tibi: sciens quoniam et super id, quod dico, facies.

Be prepared, meanwhile, to entertain me; I hope, through your prayers, to be restored to you.

But withal prepare me also a lodging. For I hope that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

Simul autem et para mihi hospitium: nam spero per orationes vestras donari me vobis.

Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus;

There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus;

Salutat te Epaphras concaptivus meus in Christo Jesu,

from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, who share my labours.

Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke my fellow labourers.

Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, et Lucas, adjutores mei.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

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

Gratia Domini nostri Jesu Christi cum spiritu vestro. Amen.