to Timothy, my dear child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

From Paul, ¹  a prisoner of Christ Jesus, ²  and Timothy our ³  brother, to Philemon, our dear friend ⁴  and colaborer,

no longer as a slave, ¹  but more than a slave, as a dear brother. He is especially so to me, and even more so to you now, both humanly speaking ²  and in the Lord.

But in your case, dear friends, even though we speak like this, we are convinced of better things relating to salvation.

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul,

Dear friends, do not be astonished ¹  that a trial by fire is occurring among you, ²  as though something strange were happening to you.

Dear friends, this is already the second letter I have written ¹  you, in which ²  I am trying to stir up ³  your pure mind by way of reminder:

Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. ¹ 

But you, dear friends – recall the predictions ¹  foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. ² 

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, ¹ 

And ¹  a voice from heaven said, ²  “This is my one dear Son; ³  in him ⁴  I take great delight.” ⁵ 

Then ¹  a cloud ²  overshadowed them, ³  and a voice came from the cloud, “This is my one dear Son. ⁴  Listen to him!” ⁵ 

He had one left, his one dear son. ¹  Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

Then ¹  the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my one dear son; ²  perhaps they will respect him.’

To all those loved by God in Rome, ¹  called to be saints: ²  Grace and peace to you ³  from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, ¹  for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” ²  says the Lord.

Also greet the church in their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, ¹  who was the first convert ²  to Christ in the province of Asia. ³ 

Greet Tryphena ¹  and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord. Greet my dear friend ²  Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves ¹  from everything that could defile the body ²  and the spirit, and thus accomplish ³  holiness out of reverence for God. ⁴ 

Have you been thinking all this time ¹  that we have been defending ourselves to you? We are speaking in Christ before God, and everything we do, dear friends, is to build you up. ²