¹Mimi Paulo, mfungwa kwa ajili ya Kristo Yesu, na ndugu Timotheo, ninakuandikia wewe Filemoni mpendwa, mfanyakazi mwenzetu

¹Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timotheus the brother, to Philemon our beloved and fellow-worker,

²na kanisa linalokutana nyumbani kwako, na wewe dada Afia, na askari mwenzetu Arkupo.

²and Apphia the beloved, and Archippus our fellow-soldier, and the assembly in thy house:

³Tunawatakieni neema na amani kutoka kwa Mungu Baba yetu, na kwa Bwana yesu Kristo.

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

⁴Kila wakati ninaposali nakukumbuka wewe Filemoni, na kumshukuru Mungu

⁴I give thanks to my God, always making mention of thee in my prayers,

⁵maana nasikia habari za imani yako kwa Bwana wetu Yesu na upendo wako kwa watu wote wa Mungu.

⁵hearing of thy love and faith that thou hast unto the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

⁶Naomba ili imani hiyo unayoshiriki pamoja nasi ikuwezeshe kuwa na ujuzi mkamilifu zaidi wa baraka zote tunazopata katika kuungana kwetu na Kristo.

⁶that the fellowship of thy faith may become working in the full knowledge of every good thing that [is] in you toward Christ Jesus;

⁷Ndugu, upendo wako yameniletea furaha kubwa na kunipa moyo sana! Nawe umeichangamsha mioyo ya watu wa Mungu.

⁷for we have much joy and comfort in thy love, because the bowels of the saints have been refreshed through thee, brother.

⁸Kwa sababu hiyo, ningeweza, kwa uhodari kabisa, nikiwa ndugu yako katika Kristo, kukuamuru ufanye unachopaswa kufanya.

⁸Wherefore, having in Christ much boldness to command thee that which is fit —

⁹Lakini kwa sababu ya upendo, ni afadhali zaidi nikuombe. Nafanya hivi ingawa mimi ni Paulo, balozi wa Kristo Yesu, na sasa pia mfungwa kwa ajili yake.

⁹because of the love I rather entreat, being such an one as Paul the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ;

¹⁰Basi, ninalo ombi moja kwako kuhusu mwanangu Onesimo, ambaye ni mwanangu katika Kristo kwani nimekuwa baba yake nikiwa kifungoni.

¹⁰I entreat thee concerning my child — whom I did beget in my bonds — Onesimus,

¹¹Ni Onesimo yuleyule ambaye wakati mmoja alikuwa hakufai kitu, lakini sasa ananifaa mimi na wewe pia.

¹¹who once was to thee unprofitable, and now is profitable to me and to thee,

¹²Sasa namrudisha kwako, naye ni kama moyo wangu mimi mwenyewe.

¹²whom I did send again, and thou him (that is, my own bowels) receive,

¹³Ningependa akae nami hapa anisaidie badala yako wakati niwapo kifungoni kwa sababu ya Habari Njema.

¹³whom I did wish to retain to myself, that in thy behalf he might minister to me in the bonds of the good news,

¹⁴Lakini sitafanya chochote bila kibali chako. Sipendi kukulazimisha unisaidie, kwani wema wako unapaswa kutokana na hiari yako wewe mwenyewe na si kwa kulazimika.

¹⁴and apart from thy mind I willed to do nothing, that as of necessity thy good deed may not be, but of willingness,

¹⁵Labda Onesimo aliondoka kwako kwa kitambo tu, kusudi uweze tena kuwa naye daima.

¹⁵for perhaps because of this he did depart for an hour, that age-duringly thou mayest have him,

¹⁶Na sasa yeye si mtumwa tu, ila ni bora zaidi ya mtumwa: yeye ni ndugu yetu mpenzi. Na wa maana sana kwangu mimi, na kwako atakuwa wa maana zaidi kama mtumwa na kama ndugu katika Bwana.

¹⁶no more as a servant, but above a servant — a brother beloved, especially to me, and how much more to thee, both in the flesh and in the Lord!

¹⁷Basi, ikiwa wanitambua mimi kuwa mwenzako, mpokee tena kama vile ungenipokea mimi mwenyewe.

¹⁷If, then, with me thou hast fellowship, receive him as me,

¹⁸Kama alikuwa amekukosea kitu, au alikuwa na deni lako, basi, unidai mimi.

¹⁸and if he did hurt to thee, or doth owe anything, this to me be reckoning;

¹⁹Naandika jambo hili kwa mkono wangu mwenyewe: Mimi Paulo nitalipa! (Tena sina haja ya kusema kwamba wewe unalo deni kwangu la nafsi yako.)

¹⁹I, Paul did write with my hand, I — I will repay; that I may not say that also thyself, besides, to me thou dost owe.

²⁰Haya, basi, ndugu yangu, nifanyie jambo hilo kwa ajili ya jina la Bwana; burudisha moyo wangu kama ndugu katika Kristo.

²⁰Yes, brother, may I have profit of thee in the Lord; refresh my bowels in the Lord;

²¹Naandika nikitumaini kwamba utanikubalia ombi langu; tena najua kwamba utafanya hata zaidi ya haya ninayokuomba.

²¹having been confident in thy obedience I did write to thee, having known that also above what I may say thou wilt do;

²²Pamoja na hayo, nitayarishie chumba kwani natumaini kwamba kwa sala zenu, Mungu atanijalia niwatembeleeni.

²²and at the same time also prepare for me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

²³Epafra, mfungwa mwenzangu kwa ajili ya Kristo Yesu, anakusalimu.

²³Salute thee doth Epaphras, (my fellow-captive in Christ Jesus,)

²⁴Nao akina Marko, Aristarko, Dema na Luka, wafanyakazi wenzangu, wanakusalimu.

²⁴Markus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lukas, my fellow-workmen!

²⁵Nawatakieni ninyi nyote neema ya Bwana wetu Yesu Kristo.

²⁵The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [is] with your spirit! Amen.