1Kuchokera kwa Paulo, amene ndili mʼndende chifukwa cha Khristu Yesu ndi Timoteyo mʼbale wathu.
Kulembera Filemoni, bwenzi lathu lokondedwa ndi mtumiki mnzathu. 2Kwa Apiya mlongo wathu, Arkipo msilikali mnzathu, ndiponso mpingo umene umasonkhana mʼnyumba mwanu.
3Chisomo ndi mtendere zochokera kwa Mulungu Atate athu ndi Ambuye Yesu Khristu zikhale ndi inu.
Kuyamika ndi Pemphero
4Ine ndimayamika Mulungu wanga nthawi zonse ndikakukumbukira iwe mʼmapemphero anga. 5Pakuti ndamva za chikondi chako, za chikhulupiriro chako mwa Ambuye Yesu ndiponso za chikondi chako pa oyera mtima onse. 6Ine ndikupemphera kuti mgwirizano wako ndi ife mʼchikhulupiriro ukhale opindulitsa pozamitsa nzeru zako zozindikira zinthu zilizonse zabwino zimene timagawana chifukwa cha Khristu. 7Mʼbale, chikondi chako chandipatsa chimwemwe chachikulu ndi chilimbikitso, chifukwa umatsitsimutsa mitima ya anthu a Ambuye.
Paulo Apempha kuti Amuchitire Chifundo Onesimo
8Tsopano ngakhale kuti mwa Khristu nditha kulimba mtima ndi kulamulira kuti uchite zimene uyenera kuchita, 9komabe ndikupempha mwachikondi. Ine Paulo, munthu wokalamba, ndipo tsopano ndili mʼndende chifukwa cha Khristu Yesu, 10ndikukupempha chifukwa cha mwana wanga Onesimo, amene ndamubala ndili mu unyolo. 11Anali wopanda phindu kwa iwe, koma tsopano wasanduka wa phindu kwa iwe ndi kwa inenso.
12Ine ndikumutumizanso kwa iwe tsopano, koma potero ndikukhala ngati ndikutumiza mtima wanga weniweni. 13Ndikanakonda ndikanakhala naye kuno kuti iyeyo azinditumikira mʼmalo mwako pamene ndili mu unyolo chifukwa cha Uthenga Wabwino. 14Koma sindikufuna kuchita kanthu osakufunsa, nʼcholinga chakuti chilichonse chabwino ungandichitire chikhale mwakufuna kwako osati mokakamiza. 15Mwina chifukwa chimene unasiyana naye kwa kanthawi ndi chakuti ukhale nayenso nthawi zonse. 16Osati ngati kapolo, koma woposa kapolo, ngati mʼbale wokondedwa. Iyeyu ndi wokondedwa kwambiri kwa ine koma kwa iweyo ndi wokondedwa koposa, ngati munthu komanso ngati mʼbale mwa Ambuye.
17Tsono ngati umati ndine mnzako, umulandire iyeyu monga momwe ukanandilandirira ineyo. 18Ngati anakulakwira kapena kukongola kanthu kalikonse, ndidzalipira ineyo. 19Ine, Paulo ndikulemba zimenezi ndi dzanja langa. Ine ndidzalipira. Nʼkosafunika kukukumbutsa kuti iweyo ngongole yako kwa ine ndi moyo wakowo. 20Mʼbale, ndikufuna kuti ndipindule nawe mwa Ambuye; tsono tsitsimutsa mtima wanga mwa Khristu. 21Ine ndili ndi chitsimikizo cha kumvera kwako pamene ndikukulembera kalatayi. Ndikulemba ndikudziwa kuti udzachita ngakhale kuposa zimene ndakupemphazi.
22Chinthu chinanso ndi ichi: undikonzere malo, chifukwa ndikukhulupirira kuti Mulungu adzamvera mapemphero anu ndi kundibwezera kwa inu.
Mawu Otsiriza
23Epafra, wamʼndende mnzanga chifukwa cha Khristu Yesu akupereka moni. 24Atumiki anzanga awa, Marko, Aristariko, Dema ndi Luka, akuperekanso moni.
25Chisomo cha Ambuye Yesu Khristu chikhale ndi mzimu wako.
1I, Paul, am writing this letter. I am a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. Our brother Timothy joins me in writing.
Philemon, we are sending you this letter. You are our dear friend. You work together with us. 2We are also sending it to our sister Apphia and to Archippus. He is a soldier of Christ together with us. And we are sending it to the church that meets in your home.
3May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
Paul Prays and Gives Thanks
4I always thank my God when I remember you in my prayers. 5That’s because I hear about your love for all God’s people. I also hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that what we share by believing will help you understand even more. Then you will completely understand every good thing we share by believing in Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy. It has encouraged me. My brother, you have renewed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Paul Makes an Appeal for Onesimus
8Because of the authority Christ has given me, I could be bold. I could order you to do what you should do anyway. 9But we love each other. And I would rather appeal to you on the basis of that love. I, Paul, am an old man. I am now also a prisoner because of Christ Jesus. 10I am an old man, and I’m in prison. This is how I make my appeal to you for my son Onesimus. He became a son to me while I was being held in chains. 11Before that, he was useless to you. But now he has become useful to you and to me.
12I’m sending Onesimus back to you. All my love for him goes with him. 13I’m being held in chains because of the good news. So I would have liked to keep Onesimus with me. And he could take your place in helping me. 14But I didn’t want to do anything unless you agreed. Any favor you do must be done because you want to do it, not because you have to. 15Onesimus was separated from you for a little while. Maybe that was so you could have him back forever. 16You could have him back not as a slave. Instead, he would be better than a slave. He would be a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even more dear to you. He is dear to you not only as another human being. He is also dear to you as a brother in the Lord.
17Do you think of me as a believer who works together with you? Then welcome Onesimus as you would welcome me. 18Has he done anything wrong to you? Does he owe you anything? Then charge it to me. 19I’ll pay it back. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I won’t even mention that you owe me your life. 20My brother, we both belong to the Lord. So I wish I could receive some benefit from you. Renew my heart. We know that Christ is the one who really renews it. 21I’m sure you will obey. So I’m writing to you. I know you will do even more than I ask.
22There is one more thing. Have a guest room ready for me. I hope I can return to all of you in answer to your prayers.
23Epaphras sends you greetings. Together with me, he is a prisoner because of Christ Jesus.
24Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke work together with me. They also send you greetings.
25May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
