Philemon 1

1

¹Paul the presoner of Iesu Christ and brother Timotheus. Vnto Philemon the beloved and oure helper

²and to the beloved Appia and to Archippus oure felowe soudier and to the congregacion of thy housse.

³Grace be with you and peace from God oure father and from the Lorde Iesus Christ.

⁴I thake my God makinge mencio all wayes of the in my prayers

⁵when I heare of thy love and fayth which thou hast towarde the Lorde Iesu and towarde all saynctes:

⁶so that the fellisshippe that thou hast in the fayth is frutefull thorow knowledge of all good thinges which are in you by Iesus Christ.

⁷And we have great ioye and consolacion over thy love: for by the (brother) the saynctes hertes are comforted.

⁸Wherfore though I be bolde in Christ to enioyne the that which becometh the:

⁹yet for loves sake I rather beseche the though I be as I am even Paul aged and now in bondes for Iesu Christes sake.

¹⁰I beseche the for my sonne Onesimus whom I begat in my bondes

¹¹which in tyme passed was to the vnproffetable: but now proffetable bothe to the and also to me

¹²whom I have sent home agayne. Thou therfore receave him that is to saye myne awne bowels

¹³whom I wolde fayne have retayned with me that in thy stede he myght have ministred vnto me in the bondes of the gospell.

¹⁴Neverthelesse without thy mynde wolde I doo nothinge that that good which springeth of the shuld not be as it were of necessitie but willingly.

¹⁵Haply he therfore departed for a season that thou shuldest receave him for ever

¹⁶not nowe as a servaut: but above a servaunt I meane a brother beloved specially to me: but how moche more vnto the both in the flesshe and also in the Lorde?

¹⁷Yf thou count me a felowe receave him as my selfe.

¹⁸Yf he have hurt the or oweth the ought that laye to my charge.

¹⁹I Paul have written it with myne awne hode. I will recompence it. So that I do not saye to the howe that thou owest vnto me even thyne awne silfe.

²⁰Even so brother let me enioye the in the Lorde. Comforte my bowels in the Lorde.

²¹Trustinge in thyne obediece I wrote vnto the knowynge that thou wilt do more then I saye for.

²²Moreover prepare me lodgynge: for I trust thorow the helpe of youre prayers I shalbe geven vnto you.

²³Ther salute ye Epaphras my felowe presoner in Christ Iesu

²⁴Marcus Aristarchus Demas Lucas my helpers.

²⁵The grace of oure Lorde Iesu Christ be with youre spretes. Amen. ‘Sent from Rome by Onesimus a servaunt.’