7 Your love has given me great joy. It has cheered me up. My brother, you have renewed the hearts of God's people.
8 Because of the authority Christ has given me, I could be bold. I could order you to do what you should do anyway.
9 But I make my appeal to you on the basis of our love for each other. I, Paul, am an old man. I am now also a prisoner because of Christ Jesus.
10 I make an appeal to you for my son Onesimus. He became a son to me while I was being held by chains.
11 Before that, he was useless to you. But now he has become useful to you and to me.
12 I'm sending Onesimus back to you. My very heart goes with him.
13 I would have liked to keep him with me. Then he could have taken your place in helping me while I'm being held by chains because of the good news.