1Bulus, ɗan kurkuku saboda Kiristi Yesu, da kuma Timoti ɗan’uwanmu,
Zuwa ga Filemon ƙaunataccen abokinmu da kuma abokin aikinmu, 2zuwa kuma ga Affiya ’yar’uwarmu, zuwa kuma ga Arkiffus abokin famarmu, da zuwa kuma ga ikkilisiyar da take taruwa a gidanka.
3Alheri da salama daga Allah Ubanmu da kuma Ubangiji Yesu Kiristi, su kasance tare da ku.
Godiya da addu’a
4Kullum nakan gode wa Allahna sa’ad da nake tuna da kai cikin addu’o’ina, 5domin ina jin labari bangaskiyarka cikin Ubangiji Yesu da kuma ƙaunarka da kake yi saboda dukan tsarkaka. 6Ina addu’a ka zama mai ƙwazo cikin shaida bangaskiyarka, domin ka sami cikakken fahimta ta kowane abin da yake nagarin da muke da shi cikin Kiristi. 7Ƙaunarka ta sa ni farin ciki ƙwarai ta kuma ƙarfafa ni, domin kai, ɗan’uwa, ka wartsake zukatan tsarkaka.
Roƙon Bulus domin Onisemus
8Saboda haka, ko da yake cikin Kiristi ina iya yin ƙarfin hali in umarce ka ka yi abin da ya kamata, 9duk da haka ina roƙonka saboda ƙauna, na fi so in roƙe ka, ni Bulus tsoho, a yanzu kuma ga ni ɗan sarƙa saboda Kiristi Yesu. 10Ina roƙonka saboda ɗana Onesimus,10 Onesimus yana nufin mai amfani. wanda ya zama ɗana yayinda nake cikin sarƙoƙi. 11Dā kam, ba shi da amfani a gare ka, amma yanzu ya zama da amfani a gare ka da kuma gare ni.
12Ina aike shi yă koma gare ka, shi da yake zuciyata. 13Na so in riƙe shi a wurina a madadinka domin yă taimake ni yayinda nake cikin sarƙoƙi saboda bishara. 14Sai dai ban so in yi kome ban da yardarka ba, domin kowane alherin da za ka yi, yă fito daga zuciyarka, ba na tilas ba. 15Wataƙila abin da ya sa aka raba ka da shi na ɗan lokaci ƙanƙani shi ne don ka same shi da amfani 16ba kamar bawa kuma ba, sai dai fiye da bawa, a matsayin ƙaunataccen ɗan’uwa. Shi ƙaunatacce ne sosai a gare ni amma a gare ka ya ma fi zama ƙaunatacce, kamar mutum da kuma kamar ɗan’uwa a cikin Ubangiji.
17Saboda haka in ka ɗauke ni a kan ni abokin tarayya ne, sai ka marabce shi kamar yadda za ka marabce ni. 18In ya yi maka wani laifi ko kuma yana riƙe maka wani bashi, sai ka mai da shi a kaina. 19Ni, Bulus, nake rubuta wannan da hannuna. Zan biya ka, kada ma a yi zancen ranka da kake riƙe mini bashi. 20Ina fata, ɗan’uwa, zan sami amfani daga gare ka cikin Ubangiji; ka wartsake zuciyata cikin Kiristi. 21Da tabbacin biyayyarka, ina rubuta maka, da sanin za ka yi fiye da abin da na ce.
22Abu guda ya rage, ka shirya mini masauƙi, domin ina bege za a mayar da ni gare ku albarkacin addu’o’inku.
23Efafaras, abokin tarayyata a kurkuku cikin Kiristi Yesu, yana gaishe ka.
24Haka kuma Markus, Aristarkus, Demas da kuma Luka, abokan aikina.
25Alherin Ubangiji Yesu Kiristi yă kasance da ruhunku.
1Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,
To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker – 2also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier – and to the church that meets in your home:
3Grace and peace to you1:3 The Greek is plural; also in verses 22 and 25; elsewhere in this letter ‘you’ is singular. from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and prayer
4I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.
Paul’s plea for Onesimus
8Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul – an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus – 10that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus,1:10 Onesimus means useful. who became my son while I was in chains. 11Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me.
12I am sending him – who is my very heart – back to you. 13I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. 14But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favour you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. 15Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back for ever – 16no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
17So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. 18If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. 19I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back – not to mention that you owe me your very self. 20I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. 21Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
22And one thing more: prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.
23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.
24And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas and Luke, my fellow workers.
25The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
