Paul, a prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed), and our brother Timothy,

To Philemon our dearly beloved friend and fellow worker,

Grace to you and peace [inner calm and spiritual well-being] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

because I hear of your love and of your faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints (God’s people).

I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective and powerful because of your accurate knowledge of every good thing which is ours in Christ.

yet for love’s sake I prefer to appeal to you—since I am such a person as Paul, an old man, and now also a prisoner [for the sake] of Christ Jesus—

Greetings to you from Epaphras, my fellow prisoner here in [the cause of] Christ Jesus,

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