Filemon 1 – ASCB & NIRV

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Filemon 1:1-25

Nkyea

1Nwoma yi firi Paulo a ɛsiane Kristo Yesu enti, meyɛ odeduani no ne yɛn nuabarima Timoteo nkyɛn,

Yɛde kɔma yɛn adamfo ne yɛn yɔnko Filemon 2ne asafo a wɔhyia wɔ wo fie no ne yɛn nuabaa Apia ne yɛn yɔnko ɔsraani Arkipo no:

3Adom ne asomdwoeɛ a ɛfiri yɛn Agya Onyankopɔn ne Awurade Yesu Kristo nka mo.

4Onua Filemon, ɛberɛ biara a mebɔ mpaeɛ no, mebɔ bi ma wo na meda me Onyankopɔn nso ase. 5Mete ɔdɔ a wodɔ Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ ne gyidie a wowɔ wɔ Awurade Yesu mu no. 6Mebɔ mpaeɛ sɛ wobɛkɔ so abɔ wo gyidie no ho dawuro akyerɛ afoforɔ sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wobɛhunu nhyira a Kristo de ama yɛn no nyinaa. 7Onua pa, wo dɔ no ama me anigyeɛ na ahyɛ me nkuran nso. Woakanyane Onyankopɔn nkurɔfoɔ.

8Sɛ meyɛ wo nua wɔ Kristo mu enti, mɛtumi de akokoɔduru ahyɛ wo, ama woayɛ deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ woyɛ, 9nanso ɔdɔ so, me Paulo a meyɛ akɔkoraa ɛne Kristo Yesu deduani seesei, 10meresrɛ wo ama me ba Onesimo a ɔbɛyɛɛ me ba ɛberɛ a na meda afiase no. 11Ɛberɛ bi a atwam no na ne ho nni mfasoɔ mma wo, nanso seesei deɛ, ne ho wɔ mfasoɔ ma me ne wo.

12Merema ɔno a ɔyɛ mʼankasa mʼakoma no asane nʼakyi aba wo nkyɛn. 13Esiane asɛmpa no enti, mepɛɛ sɛ ɔtena me nkyɛn ɛberɛ a meda afiase yi sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, ɔbɛsi wʼananmu aboa me. 14Nanso, mempɛ sɛ mehyɛ wo sɛ boa me. Mmom, mepɛ sɛ wo ara wofiri wo pɛ mu boa me. Ɛno enti, merenyɛ biribiara gye sɛ wopene so. 15Ebia na Onesimo firii wo nkyɛn ɛberɛ tiawa bi sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a wobɛgye no ato mu bio afebɔɔ. 16Seesei ɔnyɛ ɔsomfoɔ kɛkɛ ɛfiri sɛ, ɔkyɛn ɔsomfoɔ. Ɔyɛ onua pa wɔ Kristo mu. Ɔsom bo ma me. Saa ara nso na ɔbɛsom bo ama wo sɛ ɔsomfoɔ ne onua wɔ Awurade mu.

17Enti, sɛ wodwene me ho sɛ wo fafafoɔ a, saa ara nso na gye no awaawaatuu sɛdeɛ wobɛgye me no ara. 18Sɛ wayɛ wo biribi anaasɛ ɔde wo ka bi a, mɛtua wo ka. 19Me Paulo, mede mʼankasa me nsa retwerɛ sɛ mɛtua wo ka, na mmom mma wo werɛ mfiri sɛ wo nso wode me ka, a ɛyɛ wʼankasa wo nkwa. 20Enti, me nua, mesrɛ wo sɛ, Awurade enti, yɛ me saa adɔeɛ yi; ka mʼakoma hye sɛ wo nua wɔ Kristo mu. 21Mewɔ anidasoɔ sɛ, deɛ meretwerɛ wo yi, wobɛyɛ ama aboro deɛ merebisa wo yi so.

22Afei pɛ ɛdan ma me, ɛfiri sɛ, menim sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛtie mo mpaeɛbɔ ama mabɛka mo ho bio.

23Epafra a Kristo Yesu enti ɔne me da afiase no kyea wo.

24Saa ara nso na Marko, Aristarko, Dema ne Luka nso kyea wo.

25Awurade Kristo adom nka mo nyinaa.

New International Reader’s Version

Philemon 1:1-25

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.