UFilimoni 1

1 Mina Phawuli, isibotshwa sikaKhristu uJesu, loThimothi umzalwane wethu, KuFilimoni umngane wethu othandekayo loyisisebenzi kanye lathi,

Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--

2 ku-Afiya udadewethu, ku-Akhiphasi olibutho kanye lathi, lasebandleni elihlanganela ekhaya lakho ngithi:

and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.

3 Umusa kawube kuwe kanye lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba leNkosini uJesu Khristu.

May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 Ngihlezi ngimbonga kokuphela uNkulunkulu wami lapho ngikukhumbula emikhulekweni yami

I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,

5 ngoba ngiyezwa ngothando lwakho lokukholwa eNkosini uJesu kanye lothando lwakho kubo bonke abangcwele.

because I hear of your love and of the faith which you have towards the Lord Jesus and which you manifest towards all God's people;

6 Ngikhulekela ukuba ukuhlanganyela kwakho kanye lathi ekukholweni kube lomfutho ngokujula ekuqedisiseni kwakho konke ukulunga esikwabelana ngenxa kaKhristu.

praying as I do, that their participation in your faith may result in others fully recognizing all the right affection that is in us toward Christ.

7 Uthando lwakho lungiphe ukuthokoza okukhulu lokududuzeka ngoba wena, mzalwane, uvuselele inhliziyo zabangcwele.

For I have found great joy and comfort in your love, because the hearts of God's people have been, and are, refreshed through you, my brother.

8 Ngakho-ke, lanxa kuKhristu ngingaba lesibindi ngikulaye ukuba wenze lokho okumele ukwenze

Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,

9 kodwa ngiyakuncenga ngenxa yothando. Ngakho-ke, mina Phawuli, umuntu omdala khathesi oyisibotshwa sikaKhristu uJesu futhi,

it is for love's sake that--instead of that--although I am none other than Paul the aged, and am now also a prisoner for Christ Jesus,

10 ngiyakuncenga ngenxa yendodana yami u-Onesimasi owaba yindodana yami ngibotshiwe.

I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.

11 Kuqala wayengelasizo kuwe kodwa khathesi uselusizo kuwe lakimi.

Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.

12 Ngimthuma kuwe yena othandwe yinhliziyo yami.

I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.

13 Kade ngingathanda ukuhlala laye ukuze athathe indawo yakho yokungisiza ngisabotshelwe ivangeli.

It was my wish to keep him at my side for him to attend to my wants, as your representative, during my imprisonment for the Good News.

14 Kodwa angithandanga ukwenza lutho kungelamvumo yakho ukuze kuthi loba ngumusa owenzayo ube ngowokuzithandela hatshi ukubanjwa ngamandla.

Only I wished to do nothing without your consent, so that his kind action of yours might not be done under pressure, but might be a voluntary one.

15 Mhlawumbe isizatho sokwehlukaniswa lawe okwesikhatshana sasiyikuthi ube laye futhi kokuphela (aiōnios g166)

For perhaps it was for this reason he was parted from you for a time, that you might receive him back wholly and for ever yours; (aiōnios g166)

16 engaseyiso sigqili kodwa esengcono kulesigqili njengomzalwane othandekayo. Uyathandeka kimi kodwa uthandeka kakhulu kuwe njengomunye wakho lanjengomzalwane eNkosini.

no longer as a slave, but as something better than a slave--a brother peculiarly dear to me, and even dearer to you, both as a servant and as a fellow Christian.

17 Ngakho-ke, nxa ungithatha njengohlanganyela lawe, mamukele ngendlela obuzangamukela ngayo.

If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.

18 Nxa kulokubi akwenze kuwe kumbe elesikwelede kuwe, kubalele kimi.

And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.

19 Mina Phawuli, ngiloba lokhu ngesandla sami. Ngizahlawula ngingabali ukuthi lawe ulomlandu kimi wena ngokwakho.

I Paul write this with my own hand--I will pay you in full. (I say nothing of the fact that you owe me even your own self.)

20 Ngiyafisa, mzalwane, ukuba ngithole usizo oluthile kuwe eNkosini; uvuselele inhliziyo yami kuKhristu.

Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Ngileqiniso ngokulalela kwakho, ngikulobela ngisazi ukuthi uzakwenza okudlula engikucelayo.

I write to you in the full confidence that you will meet my wishes, for I know you will do even more than I say.

22 Okunye njalo yilokhu: Ngilungisela indlu yezihambi ngoba ngithemba ukuba ngizabuyiselwa kuwe ngenxa yemikhuleko yakho.

And at the same time provide accommodation for me; for I hope that through your prayers I shall be permitted to come to you.

23 U-Ephafrasi oyisibotshwa kanye lami ngenxa kaKhristu uJesu, uyakubingelela.

Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;

24 UMakho, lo-Aristakhasi, loDemasi kanye loLukha abayizisebenzi kanye lami bayakubingelela.

and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 Umusa weNkosi uJesu Khristu kawube lomoya wakho.

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of every one of you.