11:1 Efe 3:1; 2Kor 1:1; Flp 2:25Paulo, mfungwa wa Kristo Yesu, pamoja na Timotheo ndugu yetu:
Kwa Filemoni rafiki yetu mpendwa na mtendakazi mwenzetu, 21:2 Kol 4:17; Flp 2:25; Rum 16:5kwa dada yetu mpendwa Afia, kwa Arkipo askari mwenzetu na kwa kanisa lile likutanalo nyumbani mwako:
31:3 Rum 1:7; Efe 1:2Neema iwe nanyi na amani itokayo kwa Mungu Baba yetu na Bwana Yesu Kristo.
Shukrani Na Maombi
41:4 Rum 1:8; 1:10; Efe 1:16; 1The 1:2; 2The 1:2Siku zote ninamshukuru Mungu ninapokukumbuka katika maombi yangu, 51:5 2Tim 2:22; Mdo 23:1; 1Tim 4:2; Gal 5:23kwa sababu ninasikia juu ya imani yako katika Bwana Yesu na upendo wako kwa watakatifu wote. 61:6 Flp 1:9, 11Naomba utiwe nguvu katika kuishuhudia imani yako, ili upate kuwa na ufahamu mkamilifu juu ya kila kitu chema tulicho nacho ndani ya Kristo. 71:7 2Kor 7:4, 13; 7:4, 13; 2Tim 1:16; Flm 20Upendo wako umenifurahisha mno na kunitia moyo, kwa sababu wewe ndugu, umeiburudisha mioyo ya watakatifu.
Maombi Ya Paulo Ya Kumtetea Onesimo
81:8 1The 2:6Hata hivyo, ingawa katika Kristo ningeweza kuwa na ujasiri na kukuagiza yale yakupasayo kutenda, 91:9 Efe 3:1; Flm 1, 23; 1Kor 1:10lakini ninakuomba kwa upendo, mimi Paulo, mzee na pia sasa nikiwa mfungwa wa Kristo Yesu, 101:10 1Kor 4:15; 1The 2:11nakuomba kwa ajili ya mwanangu Onesimo,1:10 Onesimo maana yake ni Wa manufaa. aliyefanyika mwanangu nilipokuwa kwenye minyororo. 11Mwanzoni alikuwa hakufai, lakini sasa anakufaa sana wewe na mimi pia.
12Namtuma kwako, yeye aliye moyo wangu hasa. 131:13 Flm 10; Mdo 21:33; 1Kor 16:17; Flp 2:20; Kol 4:9Ningependa nikae naye ili ashike nafasi yako ya kunisaidia wakati huu nikiwa kifungoni kwa ajili ya Injili. 141:14 2Kor 9:7; 1Pet 5:2Lakini sikutaka kufanya lolote bila idhini yako, ili wema wowote uufanyao usiwe wa lazima, bali wa hiari. 151:15 Mwa 45:5, 8Huenda sababu ya yeye kutengwa nawe kwa kitambo kidogo ni ili uwe naye daima. 161:16 Mt 23:8; Mdo 1:16Si kama mtumwa, bali bora kuliko mtumwa, kama ndugu mpendwa. Yeye ni mpendwa sana kwangu na hata kwako zaidi, yeye kama mwanadamu na kama ndugu katika Bwana.
171:17 2Kor 8:23Hivyo kama unanihesabu mimi kuwa mshirika wako, mkaribishe kama vile ungenikaribisha mimi mwenyewe. 181:18 Mwa 43:9Kama amekukosea lolote au kama unamdai chochote, nidai mimi. 191:19 1Kor 16:21; Gal 6:11; 2The 3:17Ni mimi Paulo, ninayeandika waraka huu kwa mkono wangu mwenyewe. Nitakulipa. Sitaji kwamba nakudai hata nafsi yako. 201:20 1Kor 16:18; Flm 7Ndugu yangu, natamani nipate faida kwako katika Bwana, uuburudishe moyo wangu katika Kristo. 211:21 2Kor 2:3; 1Kor 7:16Nikiwa na hakika ya utii wako, nakuandikia, nikijua kwamba utafanya hata zaidi ya yale ninayokuomba.
221:22 Flp 2:24; Ebr 13:19; Flp 1:19Jambo moja zaidi: Niandalie chumba cha wageni, kwa kuwa nataraji kurudishwa kwenu kama jibu la maombi yenu.
Salamu Za Mwisho Na Dua Ya Kuwatakia Heri
231:23 Kol 1:17Epafra, aliye mfungwa mwenzangu katika Kristo Yesu, anakusalimu. 241:24 Mdo 12:12; 19:29; 2Tim 4:10Vivyo hivyo Marko, Aristarko, Dema na Luka, watendakazi wenzangu wanakusalimu.
251:25 2Tim 4:22Neema ya Bwana Yesu Kristo iwe pamoja na roho zenu. Amen.
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.
