< Filemona 1 >

1 Nĩ niĩ Paũlũ, njohetwo nĩ ũndũ wa Kristũ Jesũ, na Timotheo mũrũ wa Ithe witũ, Tũratũma marũa maya kũrĩ Filemona mũrata witũ ũrĩa twendete na mũruti wĩra hamwe na ithuĩ,
From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a fellow follower of the Lord.
2 na kũrĩ mwarĩ wa Ithe witũ Apufia, o na kũrĩ Arikipo, ũrĩa ũrũagĩrĩra Ũhoro wa Ngai hamwe na ithuĩ, o na kũrĩ kanitha ũrĩa ũcemanagia gwaku mũciĩ.
To our dear friend and fellow worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow soldier Archippus; and to the church that meets at Philemon’s house;
3 Mũrogĩa na wega na thayũ kuuma kũrĩ Ngai Ithe witũ, na kuuma kũrĩ Mwathani Jesũ Kristũ.
may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
4 Atĩrĩrĩ, rĩrĩa ngũkũririkana mahooya-inĩ makwa-rĩ, nĩnjookagĩria Ngai wakwa ngaatho hĩndĩ ciothe,
I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,
5 tondũ nĩnjiguaga ũhoro wa wĩtĩkio waku thĩinĩ wa Mwathani Jesũ, na ũrĩa wendete andũ arĩa othe aamũre.
because I hear of the love and the faith which you show, not only to the Lord Jesus, but also to all his people;
6 Nĩhooyaga atĩ ũgĩe na kĩyo rĩrĩa ũkũgwatanĩra nao ũhoro wa wĩtĩkio waku, nĩgeetha magĩe na ũmenyo wa maũndũ mothe mega marĩa tũrĩ namo thĩinĩ wa Kristũ.
and I pray that your participation in the faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realisation of everything that is good and Christlike in us.
7 Wendani waku nĩũheete gĩkeno kĩnene mũno na ũkanyũmĩrĩria, nĩ tondũ wee, mũrũ wa Ithe witũ, nĩũcanjamũrĩte ngoro cia andũ arĩa aamũre.
I have indeed found great joy and encouragement in your love, knowing, as I do, how the hearts of Christ’s people have been cheered, friend, by you.
8 Nĩ ũndũ wa ũguo-rĩ, o na gũtuĩka no ngwathe ndĩ thĩinĩ wa Jesũ Kristũ, atĩ wĩke ũrĩa wagĩrĩire-rĩ,
And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,
9 nĩ kaba ngũthaithe ũwĩke nĩ ũndũ wa wendo. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio-rĩ, niĩ Paũlũ o na ndĩ mũthuuri mũkũrũ, na ningĩ ndĩ muohe nĩ ũndũ wa Kristũ Jesũ-rĩ,
yet the claims of love make me prefer to plead with you – yes, even me, Paul, though I am an ambassador for Christ Jesus and, now a prisoner for him as well.
10 ngũgĩgũthaitha nĩ ũndũ wa mũrũ wakwa Onesimo, ũrĩa watuĩkire mũrũ wakwa ndĩ gũkũ kĩoho-inĩ.
I plead with you for this child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a father.
11 Mbere ĩyo ndaarĩ kĩene kũrĩwe, no rĩu nĩatuĩkĩte mũndũ wa bata harĩwe o na harĩ niĩ.
Once he was of little service to you, but now he has become of great service, not only to you, but to me as well;
12 Nake nĩngũmũcookia kũrĩwe, na ngĩmũtũma no taarĩ ngoro yakwa mwene ndĩragũtũmĩra.
and I am sending him back to you with this letter – though it is like tearing out of my heart.
13 Nĩingĩrendire gũikara nake, nĩgeetha andeithagie handũ-inĩ haku, rĩu njohetwo nĩ ũndũ wa Ũhoro-ũrĩa-Mwega.
For my own sake I should like to keep him with me, so that, while I am in prison for the good news, he might attend to my wants on your behalf.
14 No ndiendire gwĩka ũndũ o na ũrĩkũ wee ũtetĩkĩrĩte, nĩgeetha ũndũ o wothe mwega wee ũngĩka ũkorwo ũrĩ wa kwĩyendera no ti wa kũringĩrĩrio.
But I do not wish to do anything without your consent, because I want your generosity to be voluntary and not, as it were, compulsory.
15 No gũkorwo gĩtũmi gĩa akweherere kahinda kanini-rĩ, nĩgeetha agũcookerera mũtũũranie nake nginya tene, (aiōnios g166)
It may be that he was separated from you for an hour, for this reason, so that you might have him back for ever, (aiōnios g166)
16 no ndagacooke arĩ o ngombo, no akorwo akĩrĩte ngombo, acooke arĩ mũrũ wa Ithe witũ mwende mũno. Nĩ wa bata mũno harĩ niĩ, no harĩwe nĩ wa bata makĩria, arĩ ta mũndũ o na ta mũrũ wa Ithe witũ thĩinĩ wa Mwathani.
no longer as a slave, but as something better – a dearly loved friend and follower of the Lord, especially dear to me, and how much more so to you, not only as a person, but as your fellow Christian!
17 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio angĩkorwo nĩũtuaga tũrĩ rũmwe nawe-rĩ, mwamũkĩre o ta ũrĩa ũngĩnyamũkĩra niĩ mwene.
If, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.
18 Nake angĩkorwo nĩagwĩkĩte ũũru o na ũrĩkũ, kana hihi arĩ na thiirĩ waku-rĩ, andĩka atĩ thiirĩ ũcio nĩ wakwa.
If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19 Nĩ niĩ Paũlũ ndĩrakwandĩkĩra na guoko gwakwa mwene. Nĩngakũrĩha thiirĩ ũcio, o na gũtuĩka ndikwenda kũgweta atĩ o na wee mwene ũrĩ thiirĩ wakwa.
I, Paul, put my own hand to it – I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your self.
20 Atĩrĩrĩ, mũrũ wa Ithe witũ, niĩ ingĩenda ngĩe na uumithio uumĩte kũrĩwe thĩinĩ wa Mwathani; canjamũra ngoro yakwa thĩinĩ wa Kristũ.
Yes, friend, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.
21 Ndakwandĩkĩra marũa maya ndĩhokete atĩ ndũngĩaga kũnjathĩkĩra, na ngĩmenyaga atĩ nĩũgwĩka o na makĩria ya ũrĩa ngũrĩĩtie wĩke.
Even as I write, I have such confidence in your compliance with my wishes, that I am sure that you will do even more than I am asking.
22 Hamwe na ũguo-rĩ, thondekera handũ ha gũikara, tondũ ndĩ na mwĩhoko atĩ nĩndĩtĩkĩrio njũke kũrĩ inyuĩ nĩ ũndũ wa mahooya marĩa mũhooyagĩra.
Please also get a lodging ready for me, for I hope that I will be given back to you all in answer to your prayers.
23 Epafara, ũrĩa tuohetwo nake nĩ ũndũ wa Kristũ Jesũ, nĩakũgeithia.
Epaphras, who is my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;
24 O na Mariko, na Arisitariko, na Dema, na Luka, arĩa tũrutithanagia wĩra nao, nĩmakũgeithia.
and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, send theirs.
25 Wega wa Mwathani witũ Jesũ Kristũ ũrogĩa na roho waku.
May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.

< Filemona 1 >