6. I pray that your partnership in the faith might become effective by an understanding of all that is good among us in Christ.
7. I have great joy and encouragement because of your love, since the hearts of God’s people are refreshed by your actions, my brother.
8. Therefore, though I have enough confidence in Christ to command you to do the right thing,
9. I would rather appeal to you through love. I, Paul—an old man, and now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus—
10. appeal to you for my child Onesimus. I became his father in the faith during my time in prison.
11. He was useless to you before, but now he is useful to both of us.
12. I’m sending him back to you, which is like sending you my own heart.
13. I considered keeping him with me so that he might serve me in your place during my time in prison because of the gospel.
14. However, I didn’t want to do anything without your consent so that your act of kindness would occur willingly and not under pressure.
15. Maybe this is the reason that Onesimus was separated from you for a while so that you might have him back forever—
16. no longer as a slave but more than a slave—that is, as a dearly loved brother. He is especially a dearly loved brother to me. How much more can he become a brother to you, personally and spiritually in the Lord!