Filemon 1
1 Saa nhoma yi fi Paulo a esiane Kristo Yesu nti ɔyɛ odeduani ne yɛn nuabarima Timoteo nkyɛn, Yɛde kɔma yɛn adamfo ne yɛn yɔnko Filemon
Paul, a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother: To Philemon our dearly-loved fellow labourer--
2 ne asafo a wohyia wɔ wo fi no ne yɛn nuabea Apia ne yɛn yɔnko sraani Arkipo no:
and to our sister Apphia and our comrade Archippus--as well as to the Church in your house.
3 Adom ne asomdwoe a efi yɛn Agya Nyankopɔn ne Awurade Yesu Kristo nka mo.
May grace be granted to you all, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 Onua Filemon, bere biara a mebɔ mpae no mebɔ bi ma wo na meda me Nyankopɔn nso ase.
I give continual thanks to my God while making mention of you, my brother, in my prayers,
5 Mete ɔdɔ a wodɔ Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo ne gyidi a wowɔ wɔ Awurade Yesu mu no.
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 Sɛnea wo ne afoforo kura gyidi koro mu no, mebɔ mpae sɛ wɔn nso behu nhyira a Kristo de ama yɛn no nyinaa.
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 Onua pa, wo dɔ no ama me anigye na ahyɛ me nkuran nso. Woakanyan Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo.
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 Sɛ meyɛ wo nua wɔ Kristo mu nti, metumi de akokoduru ahyɛ wo, ama woayɛ nea ɛsɛ sɛ woyɛ,
Therefore, though I might with Christ's authority speak very freely and order you to do what is fitting,
9 nanso me Paulo a meyɛ akwakoraa ne Kristo Yesu deduani fi ɔdɔ mu mprempren
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 resrɛ wo ama me ba Onesimo a ɔbɛyɛɛ me ba, bere a na meda afiase no.
I entreat you on behalf of my own child whose father I have become while in my chains--I mean Onesimus.
11 Bere bi a atwa mu no na ne so nni mfaso mma wo, nanso mprempren de, ne so wɔ mfaso ma me ne wo.
Formerly he was useless to you, but now--true to his name--he is of great use to you and to me.
12 Merema ɔno a ɔyɛ mʼankasa me koma no asan aba wo nkyɛn.
I am sending him back to you, though in so doing I send part of myself.
13 Esiane asɛmpa no nti, mepɛe sɛ ɔtena me nkyɛn bere a meda afiase yi, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obesi wʼanan mu aboa me.
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 Nanso na mempɛ sɛ mefi wʼakyi ayɛ biribi, sɛnea ɛrenyɛ sɛ adɔe biara a wobɛyɛ no fi ɔhyɛ mu na mmom efi ɔpɛ pa mu nti.
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 Ebia na Onesimo fii wo nkyɛn bere tiaa bi sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wubegye no ato mu bio afebɔɔ. (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 Mprempren ɔnyɛ ɔsomfo kɛkɛ efisɛ ɔkyɛn ɔsomfo. Ɔyɛ onua pa wɔ Kristo mu. Ɔsom bo ma me. Saa ara nso na ɔbɛsom bo ama wo sɛ ɔsomfo ne onua wɔ Awurade mu.
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 Enti sɛ wudwen me ho sɛ wo ne me bɔ mu di dwuma a, saa ara nso na gye no to mu sɛnea wubegye me no ara no.
If therefore you regard me as a comrade, receive him as if he were I myself.
18 Sɛ wayɛ wo biribi anaasɛ ɔde wo ka bi a, bu tia me.
And if he was ever dishonest or is in your debt, debit me with the amount.
19 Me Paulo, mʼankasa me nsa ano nkyerɛw ni. Metua wo ka, na mmom mma wo werɛ mfi sɛ wo nipadua no ankasa de me ka.
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 Enti me nua, mesrɛ wo sɛ, Awurade nti, yɛ me saa adɔe yi; ka me koma hyew sɛ wo nua wɔ Kristo mu.
Yes, brother, do me this favour for the Lord's sake. Refresh my heart in Christ.
21 Mewɔ anidaso sɛ, nea merekyerɛw wo yi, wobɛyɛ ama aboro nea merebisa wo yi so.
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 Afei pɛ ɔdan ma me, efisɛ minim sɛ Onyankopɔn betie mo mpaebɔ ama mabɛka mo ho bio.
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 Epafra a Kristo Yesu nti ɔne me da afiase no kyia wo.
Greetings to you, my brother, from Epaphras my fellow prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus;
24 Saa ara nso na Marko, Aristarko, Dema ne Luka nso kyia wo.
and from Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.
25 Awurade Yesu Kristo adom nka wo honhom.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with the spirit of every one of you.
