Philemon 1
1 [I], Paul, am a prisoner [who serves] Christ Jesus. [I am here] with Timothy, our fellow believer. [I am writing this letter] to [you], Philemon, our dear [friend] and fellow worker.
Mina Phawuli, isibotshwa sikaKhristu uJesu, loThimothi umzalwane wethu, KuFilimoni umngane wethu othandekayo loyisisebenzi kanye lathi,
2 [I am also writing] to [your wife], Apphia, and to Archippus, [who is like] [MET] our fellow soldier [because he serves Christ steadfastly together with us]. I am also [writing this] to the congregation [that meets/gathers] in your [(sg)] house.
ku-Afiya udadewethu, ku-Akhiphasi olibutho kanye lathi, lasebandleni elihlanganela ekhaya lakho ngithi:
3 [I pray that] God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ [will continue to] act kindly toward you all and [will continue to] cause you to have [inner] peace.
Umusa kawube kuwe kanye lokuthula okuvela kuNkulunkulu uBaba leNkosini uJesu Khristu.
4 I always thank my God when I pray for you [(sg)], because I hear [people say that] you love all God’s people [CHI]
Ngihlezi ngimbonga kokuphela uNkulunkulu wami lapho ngikukhumbula emikhulekweni yami
5 and that you continue to trust in the Lord Jesus.
ngoba ngiyezwa ngothando lwakho lokukholwa eNkosini uJesu kanye lothando lwakho kubo bonke abangcwele.
6 I pray that as a result of your knowing all the good things [that God/Christ has done for] us, you may (be effective/influence many others) as you tell others what you believe, in order that [they may honor] Christ.
Ngikhulekela ukuba ukuhlanganyela kwakho kanye lathi ekukholweni kube lomfutho ngokujula ekuqedisiseni kwakho konke ukulunga esikwabelana ngenxa kaKhristu.
7 I have rejoiced greatly and have been greatly encouraged because you, my dear friend, have acted lovingly toward God’s people by encouraging them [SYN].
Uthando lwakho lungiphe ukuthokoza okukhulu lokududuzeka ngoba wena, mzalwane, uvuselele inhliziyo zabangcwele.
8 So [I have a request/favor to ask of you]. I am completely confident [that I have authority] to command you [to do] what you ought to do, because [I am an apostle of] Christ.
Ngakho-ke, lanxa kuKhristu ngingaba lesibindi ngikulaye ukuba wenze lokho okumele ukwenze
9 But because [I know that you] love [God’s people], I request this instead of [commanding you to do it]. It is I, Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner [because I serve] Christ Jesus, [who am requesting it].
kodwa ngiyakuncenga ngenxa yothando. Ngakho-ke, mina Phawuli, umuntu omdala khathesi oyisibotshwa sikaKhristu uJesu futhi,
10 I request that you [do something] for someone [who has become like] my own son [because I told him about Christ] [MET] while [I have been] a prisoner [MTY] [here. His name is] Onesimus.
ngiyakuncenga ngenxa yendodana yami u-Onesimasi owaba yindodana yami ngibotshiwe.
11 Although [his name, as you know, means ‘useful’], formerly he was useless to you. But now he is useful both to you and to me!
Kuqala wayengelasizo kuwe kodwa khathesi uselusizo kuwe lakimi.
12 Although (he is [as dear to me as/I love him as much as I love]) [MET] my own self [MTY], I am sending him back to you.
Ngimthuma kuwe yena othandwe yinhliziyo yami.
13 I would like to have kept him with me, in order that he might serve me on your behalf, while I am a prisoner [MTY] [because of my preaching] the message [about Christ].
Kade ngingathanda ukuhlala laye ukuze athathe indawo yakho yokungisiza ngisabotshelwe ivangeli.
14 Nevertheless, because [I had not yet asked you and] you had not yet permitted me [to keep him here with me], I decided not to [keep him here. I decided that I should] not do anything without your permitting it. [I decided that you should help me only if you] really want to help me.
Kodwa angithandanga ukwenza lutho kungelamvumo yakho ukuze kuthi loba ngumusa owenzayo ube ngowokuzithandela hatshi ukubanjwa ngamandla.
15 Perhaps the reason that [God permitted] Onesimus to be separated from {to leave} you for a little while was that [he would believe in Christ, and as a result] you would have him (back/with you) forever! (aiōnios g166)
Mhlawumbe isizatho sokwehlukaniswa lawe okwesikhatshana sasiyikuthi ube laye futhi kokuphela (aiōnios g166)
16 [You will no longer have him only] as a slave. Instead, [you will have him] as [someone who is] more than a slave. [You will have him] as a fellow believer! He is especially dear to me, but he certainly will be more dear to you [than he is to me] (OR, I love him very much, but you will certainly love him more than I do), [because now he] not only belongs to you but he also belongs to the Lord.
engaseyiso sigqili kodwa esengcono kulesigqili njengomzalwane othandekayo. Uyathandeka kimi kodwa uthandeka kakhulu kuwe njengomunye wakho lanjengomzalwane eNkosini.
17 So, if you consider me to be your partner [in God’s work], receive him as you would receive me.
Ngakho-ke, nxa ungithatha njengohlanganyela lawe, mamukele ngendlela obuzangamukela ngayo.
18 If he has wronged you in any manner or if he owes you anything, (charge that to me/tell me so that I can pay you).
Nxa kulokubi akwenze kuwe kumbe elesikwelede kuwe, kubalele kimi.
19 I, Paul, am now writing this in my own handwriting: I will repay you what he owes you, although I might mention to you that you owe me even more than Onesimus may owe you, because it was the result of my telling you about Christ that God saved you.
Mina Phawuli, ngiloba lokhu ngesandla sami. Ngizahlawula ngingabali ukuthi lawe ulomlandu kimi wena ngokwakho.
20 (Yes/I say it again), my dear friend, because you and I both have a relationship with the Lord, I want you to do this for me. Encourage me [SYN] [by receiving Onesimus kindly, just like you encourage others who believe] in Christ.
Ngiyafisa, mzalwane, ukuba ngithole usizo oluthile kuwe eNkosini; uvuselele inhliziyo yami kuKhristu.
21 I have written [this letter] to you, confident that you will do what I am requesting you to [do]. [In fact], I know that you will do even more than what I am requesting [you to do].
Ngileqiniso ngokulalela kwakho, ngikulobela ngisazi ukuthi uzakwenza okudlula engikucelayo.
22 Also, keep a guest room ready for me [to stay in], because I confidently expect that as a result of your prayers [for me, I] will be released [from prison and will come] to you all.
Okunye njalo yilokhu: Ngilungisela indlu yezihambi ngoba ngithemba ukuba ngizabuyiselwa kuwe ngenxa yemikhuleko yakho.
23 Epaphras, who is [suffering] with me in prison because of [his serving] Christ Jesus, (sends his greetings to you/wants you to know that he is thinking fondly about you).
U-Ephafrasi oyisibotshwa kanye lami ngenxa kaKhristu uJesu, uyakubingelela.
24 Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, who are my [other] fellow workers, also (send their greetings to you/want you to know that they are thinking fondly about you).
UMakho, lo-Aristakhasi, loDemasi kanye loLukha abayizisebenzi kanye lami bayakubingelela.
25 [I pray that] the Lord Jesus Christ [will] ([continue to] work kindly in all your lives/kindly keep accomplishing what he desires within you).
Umusa weNkosi uJesu Khristu kawube lomoya wakho.
