Filemon 1
1 Agbalẽ sia tso nye, Paulo si le ga me ɖe Kristo Yesu ta kple mía nɔviŋutsu Timoteo gbɔ, Na Filemon, mía xɔlɔ̃ lɔlɔ̃tɔ kple hadɔwɔla
To my beloved friend and coworker Philemon,
2 kple Apfia, mía nɔvinyɔnu, na Arkipo, mía nɔvi, Kristo ƒe asrafo kple hame si kpea ta le aƒewò me.
to my sister Apphia, to my fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church which meets at Philemon’s house. From Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and brother Timothy.
3 Amenuveve kple ŋutifafa si tso Mawu mía Fofo kple Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo gbɔ la woana mi.
Grace and peace be to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 Filemon lɔlɔ̃a, medaa akpe na Mawu ɣe sia ɣi si mele gbe dom ɖa ɖe tawò,
I am ever mentioning you in my prayers, and giving thanks to God,
5 elabena mese nu tso wò lɔlɔ̃ kple xɔse si le Aƒetɔ Yesu me kple ame kɔkɔeawo katã ŋu.
because I am hearing of your love and of the faith which you hold, not only toward the Lord Jesus Christ, but toward all the saints.
6 Nye gbedodoɖae nye be nàtsɔ dzo ɖe wò xɔse la, mama ŋu, ale be nàse nu nyui ɖe sia ɖe si le mía si le Kristo me la gɔme blibo.
And I pray that your participation may become effectual, as you come to acknowledge every good thing which is in you to Christ.
7 Wò lɔlɔ̃ na dzidzɔ kple dzideƒo gã aɖem, elabena wò, nɔviŋutsu, tsɔ dzidzɔ de ame kɔkɔeawo ƒe dziwo me.
For I have great joy and comfort in your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed.
8 Eya ta togbɔ be dzideƒo le asinye le Kristo me be mate ŋu azi dziwò be nàwɔ nu si dze be nàwɔ hã la,
And so, although I might be bold in Christ to dictate to you what is fitting,
9 medi boŋ be maɖe kuku na wò le lɔlɔ̃ ta. Eya ŋuti nye Paulo, amegãxoxo kple ame si va zu Kristo Yesu ƒe gatɔ
yet for love’s sake, I rather beseech you, I, Paul, an old man, and now a prisoner for Christ Jesus!
10 mele kuku ɖem na wò ɖe vinye Onesimo ta, ame si trɔ zu vinye esi menɔ kɔsɔkɔsɔ me le afii.
I beseech you for my son, Onesimus, whom I have begotten in these chains.
11 Tsã la, ŋudɔwɔnu aɖeke menɔ eŋu na wò o, ke azɔ la, etrɔ zu ŋudɔwɔnu na nye kpli wò siaa.
Once you found him "unprofitable," but now he is "profitable" to you and to me.
12 Mele etrɔm ɖo ɖe wò, eye mele nye ŋutɔ nye dzi hã ɖom ɖe wò kplii.
I am sending him back to you, he himself, that is, my very heart!
13 Medi vevie be mana wòanɔ gbɔnye le afii, le esime mele gaxɔ me le nyanyui la gbɔgblɔ ta. Wò hã àto esia me ana kpekpeɖeŋum to edzi.
I could wish to retain him at my side, so that he might minister to me in your stead, in my bonds for the gospel.
14 Ke nyemedi be mawɔ nenema ne mèlɔ̃ ɖe edzi o. Nyemedi be nànyo dɔ me nam to dzizizi me o, ke boŋ be wò ŋutɔ nàdi be yeave nunye.
But without your consent I was unwilling to do anything, so that your kindness to me might be of your own free will, and not of compulsion.
15 Ɖewohĩ, anyo be nàbu nya sia ŋu ale: Onesimo si dzo le gbɔwò ɣeyiɣi kpui aɖe, ale be azɔ la, wòazu tɔwo tegbee. (aiōnios g166)
Perhaps for this reason you were separated from him for an hour, in order that you might have him back forever, (aiōnios g166)
16 Onesimo maganye kluvi ɖeɖe ko azɔ o, ke boŋ azu nu si kɔ sãa wu, eye woanye nɔvi lɔlɔ̃a, vevietɔ nam. Agazu ame vevi na wò ŋutɔ hã azɔ, elabena maganye subɔla le ŋutilã me ko o, ke boŋ anye nɔviwò le Aƒetɔ la me hã.
no longer as a slave, but more than a slave, as a brother beloved; especially dear to me, but how much more to you, both as a man and a fellow Christian.
17 Ne menye xɔ̃wò le nyateƒe me la, ekema xɔ Onesimo kple dzaadoname si tututu natsɔ axɔm nenye nyee gbɔna gbɔwò.
If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.
18 Ne ewɔ nu vevi aɖe wò alo wòfi wò nane la, ekema kpɔ mɔ na teƒeɖoɖo tso gbɔnye.
And if he has wronged you at all, or is owing you anything, charge that to me.
19 Maɖo eteƒe na wò. Nye, Paulo, meɖo kpe nya sia dzi na wò to nu sia ŋɔŋlɔ kple nye asi na wò me. Ke nyemakɔ nu le fe si nènyi le asinye la dzi o! Nya lae nye be wò luʋɔ la ŋutɔe nye fe si nenyi le asinye!
I Paul am writing this in my own handwriting, "I will repay you." But I will not mention that you owe me, over and over, your very soul.
20 Ɛ̃, nɔvi lɔlɔ̃a, na wò nu sia wɔwɔ nam kple lɔlɔ̃ nanye viɖe nam le Aƒetɔ la me, ekema nye dzi agbɔ ɖe eme le Kristo me.
Come my brother, let me have joy in the Lord because of you! Refresh my heart in Christ!
21 Meŋlɔ agbalẽ sia na wò, elabena meka ɖe edzi be àwɔ nam wu ale si mebia gɔ̃ hã!
Because I am thoroughly persuaded of your obedience, I have written you, knowing full well that you will do by me what I am asking.
22 Meɖe kuku be nàdi amedzroxɔ aɖe da ɖi nam, elabena mele mɔ kpɔm be Mawu ase miaƒe gbedodoɖa, eye woana mava mia gbɔ kpuie.
Please also prepare for me a lodging, for I am hoping by your prayers to be restored to you again.
23 Epafra, ame si le gaxɔ me kplim le gbeƒãɖeɖe Kristo Yesu ta la do gbe na mi.
Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greeting;
24 Marko, Aristako, Dema kple Luka, nye hadɔwɔlawo hã do gbe na mi.
so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 Míaƒe Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo ƒe yayra nanɔ anyi kple miaƒe gbɔgbɔ la.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
