{"1":{"verses":{"1":"Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved fellow worker,","2":"to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church that meets at your house:","3":"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.","4":"I always thank my God, remembering you in my prayers,","5":"because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.","6":"I pray that your partnership in the faith may become effective as you fully acknowledge every good thing that is ours in Christ.","7":"I take great joy and encouragement in your love, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the saints.","8":"So although in Christ I am bold enough to order you to do what is proper,","9":"I prefer to appeal on the basis of love. For I, Paul, am now aged, and a prisoner of Christ Jesus as well.","10":"I appeal to you for my child Onesimus, whose father I became while I was in chains.","11":"Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.","12":"I am sending back to you him who is my very heart.","13":"I would have liked to keep him with me, so that on your behalf he could minister to me in my chains for the gospel.","14":"But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that your goodness will not be out of compulsion, but by your own free will.","15":"For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for good —","16":"no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a beloved brother. He is especially beloved to me, but even more so to you, both in person and in the Lord.","17":"So if you consider me a partner, receive him as you would receive me.","18":"But if he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge it to my account.","19":"I, Paul, write this with my own hand. I will repay it — not to mention that you owe me your very self.","20":"Yes, brother, let me have some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.","21":"Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.","22":"In the meantime, prepare a guest room for me, because I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.","23":"Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings,","24":"as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.","25":"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit."},"superscription":null,"stanza":[]}}