< Firemooni 1 >

1 Pawulo, omusibe wa Kristo Yesu, n’owooluganda Timoseewo, tuwandiikira ggwe Firemooni, mukozi munnaffe omwagalwa,
[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 ne Apofiya mwannyinaffe, ne Alukipo mulwanyi munnaffe, n’Ekkanisa yonna ekuŋŋaanira mu nnyumba yo.
[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 Ekisa n’emirembe ebiva eri Katonda Kitaffe ne Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo bibeerenga nammwe.
[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 Bulijjo bwe mba nga nkusabira neebaza Katonda,
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 kubanga buli kiseera mpulira nga bw’olina okwagala n’okukkiriza eri Mukama waffe Yesu n’eri abatukuvu bonna.
and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.
6 Nsaba nti nga bw’ogenda otegeeza abantu okukkiriza kwo, nabo kubanyweze mu bulamu bwabwe, nga bategeerera ddala ebirungi byonna ebiri mu ffe ku bwa Kristo.
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 Nsanyuka nnyo era ne nziramu amaanyi olw’okwagala kwo, kubanga emitima gy’abatukuvu giziddwa buggya ku lulwo owooluganda.
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 Noolwekyo newaakubadde era, nga nnina obuvumu mu Kristo, nga nandisobodde okukulagira okukola ekyo ky’osaanira okukola,
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 naye okwagala kwange gy’oli kumpaliriza okukusaba obusabi, nze, Pawulo, kaakano akaddiye, era ali mu kkomera olwa Kristo Yesu;
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 nkwegayirira ku bikwata ku mwana wange Onesimo gwe nayamba okukkiriza Mukama waffe nga ndi mu njegere, mu busibe,
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 Onesimo oyo, gye buvuddeko ataali wa mugaso gy’oli, naye kaakano nga wa mugaso nnyo gye tuli ffembi,
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 gwe naaweereza gy’oli nga n’omutima gwange gujjirako,
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 oyo gwe nandyagadde okwesigaliza, ampeereze nga ndi mu busibe olw’enjiri, mu kifo kyo mwe wandibadde onnyambira,
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 naye ne saagala kukikola nga tonzikirizza. Saagala okole eky’ekisa olwokubanga oteekwa, wabula kikole lwa kweyagalira.
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 Kiyinzika okuba nga Onesimo yakwawukanako okumala akaseera, oluvannyuma alyoke abeere naawe ebbanga lyonna, (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 nga takyali muddu buddu, naye ng’asingako awo, ng’afuuse owooluganda omwagalwa ennyo, na ddala gye ndi. Kaakano ajja kubeera wa mugaso nnyo gy’oli mu mubiri ne mu Mukama waffe.
[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 Obanga ddala ndi munno, mwanirize mu ngeri y’emu nga bwe wandinnyanirizza singa nze mbadde nzize.
So, if you consider me to be your partner [in God’s work], receive him as you would receive me.
18 Obanga waliwo ekintu ekibi kye yakukola, oba ekintu ky’omubanja, kimbalirweko.
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 Kino nkiwandiika mu mukono gwange nze, Pawulo, nti ndikusasula. Sijja kukugamba nti olina ebbanja lyange.
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 Munnange owooluganda, nkolera ekikolwa kino ekiraga okwagala, omutima gwange guddemu amaanyi mu Kristo.
(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 Nkuwandiikidde ebbaluwa eno nga neesigira ddala nga kye nkusaba ojja kukikola n’okusingawo!
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 Nninayo n’ekirala kye nkusaba; nkusaba ontegekere we ndisula, kubanga nnina essuubi, nga Katonda okusaba kwammwe ajja kukuddamu anzikirize nkomewo gye muli.
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 Epafula, musibe munnange olw’okubuulira Enjiri ya Kristo Yesu, abalamusizza.
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 Ne bakozi bannange bano: Makko, ne Alisutaluuko, ne Dema, ne Lukka nabo babalamusizza.
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 Ekisa kya Mukama waffe Yesu Kristo kibeerenga n’omwoyo gwammwe.
[I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ [will] ([continue to] work kindly in all your lives/kindly keep accomplishing what he desires within you).

< Firemooni 1 >