Philemon 1

1 ¹Paul, prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our broda, to Philemon, our correct friend wey we dey work togeda, ²and to our sister Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and di church wey dey gada for your house: ³Make grace and peace dey with una from our Papa and di Oga Jesus Christ.

Thank You dey my Belle for Philemon

⁴I dey always thank my Papa as I dey remember you for my prayers, ⁵because I dey hear about your love and faith for di Oga Jesus and for all im holy people. ⁶I dey pray say di faith wey we share go work well as you come sabi every good thing wey we get for Christ. ⁷Your love don bring me plenty joy and comfort, my broda, because you don refresh di heart of im holy people.

Na Beg I dey Beg, No be Command

⁸So, even as for Christ I fit bold-face command you make you do wetin correct, ⁹instead, because of love, na beg I dey beg—me, Paul, old man, and now sef prisoner of Christ Jesus. ¹⁰I dey beg you for my pikin Onesimus, wey I be im papa while I dey for chain. ¹¹Before-before, e no get use for you, but now e dey useful to you and to me. ^a a v11 Di name Onesimus mean "useful" — Paul dey play with di runaway slave im own name, dey turn am into di very heart of im beg. ¹²I dey send am go back to you—and as I dey do so, na my very heart I dey send. ¹³I for like make e stay with me, make e serve me for your place while I dey for chain because of di gospel. ¹⁴But I no wan do anytin without you agree first, so dat di good wey you go do no go be by force, but say na from your own mind. ¹⁵Maybe na why e comot from you small time, so dat you go get am back forever. ¹⁶No be as slave again, but pass slave—as beloved broda, especially to me, but even more to you, for di flesh and for di Oga.

¹⁷So if you count me as your partner, welcome am di same way you go welcome me. ¹⁸If e do you bad for anytin, or e owe you anytin, put am for my account. ¹⁹Me, Paul, I dey write dis with my own hand: I go pay am back—make I no even talk say na you self dey owe me your own life sef. ²⁰Yes, my broda, do me dis favour for di Oga—refresh my heart for Christ.

²¹I trust say you go obey, na why I dey write you, I sabi say you go even do pass wetin I ask.

²²And prepare guest room for me—I get hope say through una prayers, dem go graciously give me back to una.

²³Epaphras, my fellow prisoner for Christ Jesus, dey greet you, ²⁴and so too Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

²⁵Make di grace of di Oga Jesus Christ dey with your spirit. Amen.