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

[I], Paul, am a prisoner [who serves] Christ Jesus. [I am here] with Timothy, our fellow believer. [I am writing this letter] to [you], Philemon, our dear [friend] and fellow worker.

2 kple Apfia, mía nɔvinyɔnu, na Arkipo, mía nɔvi, Kristo ƒe asrafo kple hame si kpea ta le aƒewò me.

[I am also writing] to [your wife], Apphia, and to Archippus, [who is like] [MET] our fellow soldier [because he serves Christ steadfastly together with us]. I am also [writing this] to the congregation [that meets/gathers] in your [(sg)] house.

3 Amenuveve kple ŋutifafa si tso Mawu mía Fofo kple Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo gbɔ la woana mi.

[I pray that] God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to] act kindly toward you all and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.

4 Filemon lɔlɔ̃a, medaa akpe na Mawu ɣe sia ɣi si mele gbe dom ɖa ɖe tawò,

I always thank my God when I pray for you [(sg)], because I hear [people say that] you love all God’s people [CHI]

5 elabena mese nu tso wò lɔlɔ̃ kple xɔse si le Aƒetɔ Yesu me kple ame kɔkɔeawo katã ŋu.

and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.

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.

I pray that as a result of your knowing all the good things [that God/Christ has done for] us, you may (be effective/influence many others) as you tell others what you believe, in order that [they may honor] Christ.

7 Wò lɔlɔ̃ na dzidzɔ kple dzideƒo gã aɖem, elabena wò, nɔviŋutsu, tsɔ dzidzɔ de ame kɔkɔeawo ƒe dziwo me.

I have rejoiced greatly and have been greatly encouraged because you, my dear friend, have acted lovingly toward God’s people by encouraging them [SYN].

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,

So [I have a request/favor to ask of you]. I am completely confident [that I have authority] to command you [to do] what you ought to do, because [I am an apostle of] Christ.

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

But because [I know that you] love [God’s people], I request this instead of [commanding you to do it]. It is I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner [because I serve] Christ Jesus, [who am requesting it].

10 mele kuku ɖem na wò ɖe vinye Onesimo ta, ame si trɔ zu vinye esi menɔ kɔsɔkɔsɔ me le afii.

I request that you [do something] for someone [who has become like] my own son [because I told him about Christ] [MET] while [I have been] a prisoner [MTY] [here. His name is] Onesimus.

11 Tsã la, ŋudɔwɔnu aɖeke menɔ eŋu na wò o, ke azɔ la, etrɔ zu ŋudɔwɔnu na nye kpli wò siaa.

Although [his name, as you know, means ‘useful’], formerly he was useless to you. But now he is useful both to you and to me!

12 Mele etrɔm ɖo ɖe wò, eye mele nye ŋutɔ nye dzi hã ɖom ɖe wò kplii.

Although (he is [as dear to me as/I love him as much as I love]) [MET] my own self [MTY], I am sending him back to you.

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 would like to have kept him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf, while I am a prisoner [MTY] [because of my preaching] the message [about Christ].

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.

Nevertheless, because [I had not yet asked you and] you had not yet permitted me [to keep him here with me], I decided not to [keep him here. I decided that I should] not do anything without your permitting it. [I decided that you should help me only if you] really want to help me.

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 the reason that [God permitted] Onesimus to be separated from {to leave} you for a little while was that [he would believe in Christ, and as a result] you would have him (back/with you) 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.

[You will no longer have him only] as a slave. Instead, [you will have him] as [someone who is] more than a slave. [You will have him] as a fellow believer! He is especially dear to me, but he certainly will be more dear to you [than he is to me] (OR, I love him very much, but you will certainly love him more than I do), [because now he] not only belongs to you but he also belongs to the Lord.

17 Ne menye xɔ̃wò le nyateƒe me la, ekema xɔ Onesimo kple dzaadoname si tututu natsɔ axɔm nenye nyee gbɔna gbɔwò.

So, if you consider me to be your partner [in God’s work], receive him as you would receive me.

18 Ne ewɔ nu vevi aɖe wò alo wòfi wò nane la, ekema kpɔ mɔ na teƒeɖoɖo tso gbɔnye.

If he has wronged you in any manner or if he owes you anything, (charge that to me/tell me so that I can pay you).

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 now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you, although I might mention to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus may owe you, because it was the result of my telling you about Christ that God saved you.

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.

(Yes/I say it again), my dear friend, because you and I both have a relationship with the Lord, I want you to do this for me. Encourage me [SYN] [by receiving Onesimus kindly, just like you encourage others who believe] in Christ.

21 Meŋlɔ agbalẽ sia na wò, elabena meka ɖe edzi be àwɔ nam wu ale si mebia gɔ̃ hã!

I have written [this letter] to you, confident that you will do what I am requesting you to [do]. [In fact], I know that you will do even more than what I am requesting [you to do].

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.

Also, keep a guest room ready for me [to stay in], because I confidently expect that as a result of your prayers [for me, I] will be released [from prison and will come] to you all.

23 Epafra, ame si le gaxɔ me kplim le gbeƒãɖeɖe Kristo Yesu ta la do gbe na mi.

Epaphras, who is [suffering] with me in prison because of [his serving] Christ Jesus, (sends his greetings to you/wants you to know that he is thinking fondly about you).

24 Marko, Aristako, Dema kple Luka, nye hadɔwɔlawo hã do gbe na mi.

Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my [other] fellow workers, also (send their greetings to you/want you to know that they are thinking fondly about you).

25 Míaƒe Aƒetɔ Yesu Kristo ƒe yayra nanɔ anyi kple miaƒe gbɔgbɔ la.

[I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ [will] ([continue to] work kindly in all your lives/kindly keep accomplishing what he desires within you).