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
From Paul, now a prisoner for Christ Jesus, and from Timothy, a fellow follower of the Lord.
2 ne asafo a wohyia wɔ wo fi no ne yɛn nuabea Apia ne yɛn yɔnko sraani Arkipo no:
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 Adom ne asomdwoe a efi yɛn Agya Nyankopɔn ne Awurade Yesu Kristo nka mo.
may God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and give you peace.
4 Onua Filemon, bere biara a mebɔ mpae no mebɔ bi ma wo na meda me Nyankopɔn nso ase.
I always mention you in my prayers and thank God for you,
5 Mete ɔdɔ a wodɔ Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo ne gyidi a wowɔ wɔ Awurade Yesu mu no.
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 Sɛnea wo ne afoforo kura gyidi koro mu no, mebɔ mpae sɛ wɔn nso behu nhyira a Kristo de ama yɛn no nyinaa.
and I pray that your participation in the faith may result in action, as you come to a fuller realization of everything that is good and Christlike in us.
7 Onua pa, wo dɔ no ama me anigye na ahyɛ me nkuran nso. Woakanyan Onyankopɔn nkurɔfo.
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 Sɛ meyɛ wo nua wɔ Kristo mu nti, metumi de akokoduru ahyɛ wo, ama woayɛ nea ɛsɛ sɛ woyɛ,
And so, though my union with Christ enables me, with all confidence, to dictate the course that you should adopt,
9 nanso me Paulo a meyɛ akwakoraa ne Kristo Yesu deduani fi ɔdɔ mu mprempren
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 resrɛ wo ama me ba Onesimo a ɔbɛyɛɛ me ba, bere a na meda afiase no.
I plead with you for this child of mine, Onesimus, to whom, in my prison, I have become a father.
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.
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 Merema ɔno a ɔyɛ mʼankasa me koma no asan aba wo nkyɛn.
and I am sending him back to you with this letter – though it is like tearing out of my heart.
13 Esiane asɛmpa no nti, mepɛe sɛ ɔtena me nkyɛn bere a meda afiase yi, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a obesi wʼanan mu aboa me.
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 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.
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 Ebia na Onesimo fii wo nkyɛn bere tiaa bi sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a wubegye no ato mu bio afebɔɔ. (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 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 – 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 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, then, you count me your friend, receive him as you would me.
18 Sɛ wayɛ wo biribi anaasɛ ɔde wo ka bi a, bu tia me.
If he has caused you any loss, or owes you anything, charge it to me.
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, put my own hand to it – I will repay you myself. I say nothing about your owing me your 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, friend, let me gain something from you because of your union with the Lord. Cheer my heart by your Christlike spirit.
21 Mewɔ anidaso sɛ, nea merekyerɛw wo yi, wobɛyɛ ama aboro nea merebisa wo yi so.
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 Afei pɛ ɔdan ma me, efisɛ minim sɛ Onyankopɔn betie mo mpaebɔ ama mabɛka mo ho bio.
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 Epafra a Kristo Yesu nti ɔne me da afiase no kyia wo.
Epaphras, who is my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus, sends you his greeting;
24 Saa ara nso na Marko, Aristarko, Dema ne Luka nso kyia wo.
and Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers, send theirs.
25 Awurade Yesu Kristo adom nka wo honhom.
May the blessing of the Lord Jesus Christ rest on your souls.
