Paul a prisoner of Iesus Christ, and brother Timotheus: Unto Philemo the beloued, and our felowe labourer,

And to the beloued Apphia, and to Archippus our felowe souldier, and to the Churche in thy house:

Grace to you, and peace from God our father, and the Lorde Iesus Christ.

I thanke my God, makyng mention alwayes of thee in my prayers,

Hearyng of thy loue and fayth, which thou hast towarde the Lorde Iesus, and towarde all saintes:

That the felowshippe of thy fayth may be effectuall in the knowledge of euery good worke which is in you, towarde Christe Iesus.

For we haue great ioy & consolation in thy loue, because the bowels of the saintes are refresshed by thee, brother.

Wherfore, though I myght be much bolde in Christe, to inioyne thee that which is conuenient:

Yet for loues sake, I rather beseche thee, beyng such a one as Paul the aged, & nowe also a prisoner of Iesus Christe.

I beseche thee for my sonne Onesimus, whom I haue begotten in my bondes:

Which in tyme passed, was to thee vnprofitable, but nowe profitable to thee and to me.

Whom I haue sent agayne: Thou therefore receaue hym, that is, myne owne bowels,

Whom I woulde haue retayned with me, that in thy steade he myght haue ministred vnto me in the bondes of the Gospell:

But without thy mynde woulde I do nothyng, that thy benefite shoulde not be as it were of necessitie, but willingly.

For happyly he therfore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receaue hym for euer:

Not nowe as a seruaunt, but aboue a seruaunt, a brother beloued, specially to me: but howe much more vnto thee, both in the fleshe, and in the Lorde?

If thou count me therfore a felowe, receaue hym as my selfe.

If he haue iniuried, or oweth thee ought that lay to my charge.

I Paul haue written it with myne owne hande, I wyll recompence it: Albeit, I do not say to thee, howe that thou owest vnto me euen thyne owne selfe.

Yea brother, let me enioy this pleasure of thee in the Lorde: Comfort my bowels in the Lorde.

Trustyng in thine obedience, I wrote vnto thee, knowyng, that thou wilt also do more then I say.

Moreouer, prepare me also a lodgyng: for I trust that through your prayers, I shalbe geuen vnto you.

There salute thee Epaphras, my felowe prisoner in Christe Iesus.

Marcus, Aristarcus, Demas, Lucas, my felowe labourers.

The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ be with your spirite. Amen. Written from Rome, by Onesimus a seruaunt.