¹Paul, a prisoner of Jesus Christ, and Timothy our brother, unto Philemon our dearly beloved, and fellowlabourer,

¹Pauro musungwa waKristu Jesu naTimotio hama, kuna Firimoni mudiwa wedu zvikuru nemushumiri pamwe nesu,

²And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

²nekumudiwa Apifia, naAkipo, muuto pamwe nesu, nekukereke iri mumba mako;

³Grace to you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

³Nyasha kwamuri nerugare rwunobva kuna Mwari baba vedu naIshe Jesu Kristu.

⁴I thank my God, making mention of thee always in my prayers,

⁴Ndinovonga Mwari wangu, ndichikureva nguva dzose paminyengetero yangu,

⁵Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;

⁵ndichinzwa zverudo rwako nerutendo rwaunarwo kuna Ishe Jesu nekuvatsvene vose,

⁶That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

⁶kuti kudyidzana kwerutendo rwako kuve nesimba pakugamuchira chinhu chipi nechipi chakanaka chiri mamuri muna Kristu Jesu.

⁷For we have great joy and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are refreshed by thee, brother.

⁷Nekuti tine mufaro mukuru nekunyaradzwa murudo rwako, nekuti moyo yevatsvene yakavandudzwa newe, hama.

⁸Wherefore, though I might be much bold in Christ to enjoin thee that which is convenient,

⁸Naizvozvo kunyange ndingashinga zvikuru muna Kristu kukuraira izvo zvakafanira,

⁹Yet for love's sake I rather beseech thee, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ.

⁹zvakadaro nekuda kwerudo zviri nani kukukumbirisai, zvandakadai hangu, ini Pauro mutana, uye zvinowo musungwa waJesu Kristu.

¹⁰I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds:

¹⁰Ndinokukumbirisa pamusoro pemwana wangu, wandakabereka muzvisungo zvangu Onesimo,

¹¹Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

¹¹wakange asingambokubatsiri, asi zvino unobatsira iwe neni;

¹²Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

¹²wandatumirazve kwauri; naizvozvo iwe umugamuchire uyo ndiko kuti moyo wangu;

¹³Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

¹³wandaida kuramba naye, kuti panzvimbo yako andishumire pazvisungo zveevhangeri;

¹⁴But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

¹⁴asi handina kuda kuita chinhu iwe usati watenda, kuti zvakanaka zvako zvaungaita zvirege kuitwa nekurovererwa, asi nechido.

¹⁵For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

¹⁵Nekuti zvimwe wakaparadzaniswa newe chinguva nemhaka iyi, kuti ugozova naye nekusingaperi;

¹⁶Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

¹⁶arege kuzova zvino semuranda, asi unopfuura muranda, hama inodikamwa zvikuru kwandiri, asi zvikuru sei kwauri. zvose panyama nemuna Ishe.

¹⁷If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

¹⁷Naizvozvo kana uchindiverenga seumwe wako, umugamuchire sezvaungandigamuchira ini.

¹⁸If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;

¹⁸Asi kana akakutadzira, kunyange ane ngava newe, undiravire ini izvozvo.

¹⁹I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

¹⁹Ini Pauro ndanyora noruoko rwangu ndomene, ndicharipa; kuti ndirege kuti kwauri, unengava kwandiri newewo womene.

²⁰Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

²⁰Hongu hama, ngandive nemufaro pamusoro pako muna Ishe; uvandudze moyo wangu muna Ishe.

²¹Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

²¹Ndakunyorera ndichivimba kuteerera kwako, ndichiziva kuti uchaitawo kupfuura zvandinoreva.

²²But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

²²Asi ipapo ndigadzirirewo pekugara; nekuti ndinotarisira kuti kubudikidza neminyengetero yenyu ndichapiwa kwamuri.

²³There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;

²³Unokukwazisai Epafrasi musungwa pamwe neni muna Kristu Jesu.

²⁴Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

²⁴Mako, Arisitako, Dhemasi, Ruka, vabati pamwe neni.

²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

²⁵Nyasha dzaIshe wedu Jesu Kristu ngadzive nemweya wenyu.