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- Paul a prisoner of Iesus Christ, and brother Timotheus: Unto Philemo the beloued, and our felowe labourer,
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- And to the beloued Apphia, and to Archippus our felowe souldier, and to the Churche in thy house:
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- Grace to you, and peace from God our father, and the Lorde Iesus Christ.
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- I thanke my God, makyng mention alwayes of thee in my prayers,
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- Hearyng of thy loue and fayth, which thou hast towarde the Lorde Iesus, and towarde all saintes:
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- That the felowshippe of thy fayth may be effectuall in the knowledge of euery good [worke] which is in you, towarde Christe Iesus.
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- For we haue great ioy & consolation in thy loue, because the bowels of the saintes are refresshed by thee, brother.
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- Wherfore, though I myght be much bolde in Christe, to inioyne thee that which is conuenient:
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- Yet for loues sake, I rather beseche thee, beyng such a one as Paul the aged, & nowe also a prisoner of Iesus Christe.
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- I beseche thee for my sonne Onesimus, whom I haue begotten in my bondes:
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- Which in tyme passed, was to thee vnprofitable, but nowe profitable to thee and to me.
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- Whom I haue sent agayne: Thou therefore receaue hym, that is, myne owne bowels,
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- Whom I woulde haue retayned with me, that in thy steade he myght haue ministred vnto me in the bondes of the Gospell:
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- But without thy mynde woulde I do nothyng, that thy benefite shoulde not be as it were of necessitie, but willingly.
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- For happyly he therfore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receaue hym for euer:
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- 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?
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- If thou count me therfore a felowe, receaue hym as my selfe.
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- If he haue iniuried, or oweth [thee ought] that lay to my charge.
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- 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.
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- Yea brother, let me enioy this pleasure of thee in the Lorde: Comfort my bowels in the Lorde.
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- Trustyng in thine obedience, I wrote vnto thee, knowyng, that thou wilt also do more then I say.
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- Moreouer, prepare me also a lodgyng: for I trust that through your prayers, I shalbe geuen vnto you.
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- There salute thee Epaphras, my felowe prisoner in Christe Iesus.
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- Marcus, Aristarcus, Demas, Lucas, my felowe labourers.
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- The grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ [be] with your spirite.
Amen.
[Written from Rome, by Onesimus a seruaunt.]
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