Philémon 1

1 Paul, prisonnier du Christ Jésus, et Timothée, son frère, à Philémon, notre bien-aimé et notre coopérateur,

[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 Et à Appia, notre sœur très chère, et à Archippe, le compagnon de nos combats, et à l’Eglise qui est dans ta maison:

[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 Grâce à vous, et paix par Dieu notre Père, et par Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ.

[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 Faisant sans cesse mémoire de toi dans mes prières, je rends grâces à mon Dieu,

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 En apprenant la foi que tu as dans le Seigneur Jésus-Christ, et ta charité pour tous les Saints;

and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.

6 En sorte que ta participation à la foi est manifeste par la connaissance de tout le bien qui se fait parmi vous en Jésus-Christ.

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 Car j’ai ressenti une grande joie et une grande consolation, envoyant, ô mon frère, combien tu as soulagé les cœurs des saints.

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 C’est pourquoi, bien que ayant en Jésus-Christ une entière liberté de t’ordonner ce qui convient,

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 Cependant j’aime mieux te supplier par charité, puisque tu es tel que moi le vieux Paul, qui de plus suis maintenant prisonnier de Jésus-Christ;

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 Je te conjure donc pour mon fils que j’ai engendré dans mes liens, Onésime,

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 Qui t’a été autrefois inutile, mais qui maintenant est utile et à moi et à toi.

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 Je te le renvoie; reçois-le comme mes entrailles.

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 J’avais eu dessein de le retenir auprès de moi, afin qu’il m’assistât en ta place dans les liens de l’Evangile.

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 Mais je n’ai voulu rien faire sans ton avis, afin que ta bonne œuvre ne fût pas comme forcée, mais volontaire.

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 Car peut-être t’a-t-il quitté pour un temps, afin que tu le recouvrasses pour jamais, (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 Non plus comme un esclave, mais au lieu d’un esclave, comme un frère très cher, à moi en particulier, mais combien plus encore à toi, et selon la chair, et selon le Seigneur?

[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 Si donc tu me considères comme étroitement uni à toi, reçois-le comme moi-même;

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

18 Que s’il t’a fait tort, ou s’il te doit quelque chose, impute-le-moi.

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 C’est moi Paul, qui écris de ma main; c’est moi qui te satisferai; pour ne pas dire que tu te dois toi-même à moi;

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 Oui, mon frère. Que j’obtienne cette jouissance de toi dans le Seigneur; ranime mes entrailles dans le Seigneur.

(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 Confiant en ta soumission, je t’écris, sachant que tu feras même plus que je ne dis.

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 Prépare-moi aussi un logement, car j’espère, par tes prières, t’être bientôt rendu.

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 Epaphras, prisonnier comme moi pour le Christ Jésus, te salue,

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 Ainsi que Marc, Aristarque, Démas et Luc, mes auxiliaires.

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 Que la grâce de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ soit avec votre esprit. Amen.

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