Philemon 1:1-25
1 Me, Paul, wey dey prison because of Christ Jesus, Timothy our brother dey with me. I de write to Phi·leʹmon wey we really love and wey we de work together,
2 and to Apʹphi·a our sister, to Ar·chipʹpus wey be soldier like us, and to the congregation for your house:
3 Make the special favor and peace from God our Papa and the Lord Jesus Christ dey with una.
4 I de thank my God everytime wey I mention you for my prayer,
5 as I continue to hear about your faith and the love wey you get for the Lord Jesus and for all the holy ones.
6 I pray say make the faith wey you de show move you to accept every good thing wey we get because of Christ.
7 When I hear of your love, this one give me plenty joy and e really comfort me because you don make the heart of the holy ones de happy, my brother.
8 So, because of the right wey I get from Christ, I really dey free to talk and command you to do the correct thing.
9 But I de beg you because of love, and as you know, me Paul, I be old man. And now I even dey for prison because of Christ Jesus.
10 I de beg you because of my pikin O·nesʹi·mus, wey I don be like im papa when I dey prison.*
11 Before-before, e dey useless for you, but now, e go fit help you and me.
12 I de send-am back to you, yes na O·nesʹi·mus, wey dey my heart.*
13 I for like make e continue to dey here with me, so that e fit de help me the way you for help me as I dey prison because of the good news.
14 But I no want do anything wey you never agree with, so that you no go do good thing by force, but make e come from your heart.
15 E fit be say na really because of this one e run comot for short time,* so that you go take-am back forever.
16 But no be as slave again, e go pass slave. Na brother wey we really love, especially me. But you go even love-am more, because e go dey with you again and na your brother for the Lord.
17 So if you see me as your friend,* welcome O·nesʹi·mus well, the same way wey you go welcome me.
18 Apart from that one, if e don do you any bad thing, or owe you anything, tell me make I pay.
19 Na me Paul, de write with my own hand say: I go pay you back, and you know say na you even owe me pass.*
20 My brother, abeg, show me this favor because of the Lord. Do wetin go make my heart de happy because of Christ.
21 I believe say you go do wetin I talk. So I de write this letter to you and I know say you go even do pass wetin I talk.
22 But I still want add say, make you prepare place wey I go fit stay. I de hope say because of una prayer, them go allow me come back to una.*
23 Epʹa·phras wey dey prison like me because of Christ Jesus, say make I greet you.
24 Mark, Ar·is·tarʹchus, Deʹmas, and Luke, wey all of us de work together, still say make I greet you.
25 Make the special favor of the Lord Jesus Christ dey with una because of una good heart.
Footnotes
^ Or “when them chain me.”
^ Or “wey I get deep love for.”
^ For Greek na, “one hour.”
^ For Greek na, “person wey de join you.”
^ Or “owe me your life.”
^ Or “them go free me for una.”
