Following are a number of back-translations of Philemon 1:12:
Uma: “So now, this child whom I love I am ordering to return ["to you" implied in verb].” (Source: Uma Back Translation)
Yakan: “I am sending back to you Onesimus whom I really love.” (Source: Yakan Back Translation)
Western Bukidnon Manobo: “I am now returning to you Onesimus who is very dear to me.” (Source: Western Bukidnon Manobo Back Translation)
Kankanaey: “I am hereby returning (him) to you (sing.), he whom I much-love, so that you (sing.) will be in-charge-of/responsible-for him.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
Tagbanwa: “Now I am causing him to return to you, and in the big-size of my holding him dear, you could say that my own body is what I am causing to return.” (Source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
Tenango Otomi: “Now I will send him to go to where you are. But I will never forget him because I very much love him.” (Source: Tenango Otomi Back Translation)
The following is a translation for a performance of the book of Philemon in Papiamento and its English translation. The translation is interspersed with a provocative fictional response by the historical character of Tula, the Curaçaoan revolt leader of 1795, juxtaposing the subtle liberating message of Paul with a revolutionary approach. This is followed by a video showing the performance:
1 Esaki ta karta
1 This is [a] letter
di Pablo,
from Paul,
i di ruman Timoteo,
From sibling Timothy
Pablo prezu pa kousa di Kristu-Hesus;
Paul imprisoned for the cause of Christ-Jesus
ta pa Filemon, kompañer’i trabou,
it is for Philemon, fellow of work
2 ta pa Iglesia, reuní na su kas.
2 It is for the church, gathered at his house
Karta tambe pa Apfia, nos ruman muhé,
Letter also to Apphia, our sibling female
Karta tambe pa Argipo, kompañer’i lucha.
Letter also for Archippus fellow of fight
Click or tap here to see the rest of this translation as well as the video performance
3 Dios nos Tata, duna boso
3 God the Father give you
Señor Hesu-Kristu duna boso
Lord Jesus-Christ give you
grasia i pas.
grace and peace
Filemon, Filemon,
Philemon, Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Bo n’ tende anto Filemon
Have you not heard (then) Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Lesa mi ta lesa den karta sagrado
Read I do read in holy letter
Ta ku masha kachèt mester kumindá bo
(that) with lots of respect you have to be greeted
Pa kombensébo ku hende ta util
(so as to) convince you that (a) human being is useful
Hende ta mas k’util.
(A) Human being is more than useful
4 Mi Dios mi ta gradisí,
4 My God I do thank
Ora mi kòrdabo den mi orashon,
When I remember you in my prayer
5 pasobra hopi fe den Señor Hesus bo tin
because lots of faith in (the) Lord Jesus you have
Segun mi a tende,
From what I hear
Stimashon pa Dios su pueblo bo tin.
Love for God his people you have.
6 Mi ta resa, pa e fe
I pray for the faith
ku bo ta kompartí ku otro kreyente,
that you share with other believers,
hiba na komprondementu berdadero di tur kos bon
lead to understanding true of all good things
ku pa Kristu nos por hasi.
that for Christ we can do
7 Mi ruman, bo amor
7 My sibling, your love
a hasi mi mashá kontentu
has made me very happy
kurashá mi hopi,
encouraged me a lot
pasobra el a sirbi pa animá kurason di e rumannan.
Because he has to animate (the) heart of the siblings.
Filemon, Filemon,
Philemon, Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Bo n’ tende anto Filemon
Have you not heard (then) Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Ta trasta mester trasta ku bo
Flatter has to flatter you
Hunta stropi na bo boka
Put honey at your mouth
Pa por bisa bo ku bo ta mal robes
So as to say that you are badly wrong
Pa por bisa bo ku bo ta mal brua
So as to say that you are badly confused
8 P’esei derecho mi tin di bisa bo kiko hasi,
8 That is why with what right I have to tell you what to do,
Ora mi apelá na Kristu.
When I appeal to Christ.
9 Tòg a base di amor,
9 Though on (the) basis of love,
un petishon mi ta preferá hasi na bo.
A petition I prefer to do to you.
Ami, Pablo un hòmber bieu kaba,
I, Paul a man old already
asta prezu awor pa kousa di Kristu
even imprisoned now for (the) cause of Christ
10 Mi ke pidi bo pa mi yu Onésimo;
10 I want to ask you for my son Onesimus;
ta den prisón mi a bira su tata spiritual.
it is in prison that I have become his spiritual father.
11 Un tempu e no tabata sirbi bo pa nada,
11 A time he was not useful for anything
pero awor el a bira útil pa nos tur dos,
but now he has become useful to two of us,
manera su nòmber mes ta nifiká.
just as his name means.
Filemon, Filemon,
Philemon, Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Bo n’ tende anto Filemon
Have you not heard (then) Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Pachi7 Pablo pone preshon
Old man Paul put pressure
Pachi Pablo no papia ko’I kèns
Old man Paul do not speak foolishness
Ku trabou’i katibu n’ ta bal nada
(to say) that work of slave is not worth anything
Ku mi t’ei djis pa ta “util.”
That I am (exist) just to be “useful”
12 Mi ta mand’é bèk pa bo;
12 I am sending him back to you
ta manera mi kurason mes
as if my heart itself
mi ta ranka saka manda pa bo!
I rip out and send to you!
13 Gana di ten’é serka mi, mi tin
13 Desire to have him with me, I have
pa e por a yuda mi na bo lugá,
so that he can help me in your place
tanten mi ta prezu pa kousa di e bon notisia.
while I am imprisoned for the cause of the good news.
14 Sinembargo mi no ke hasi nada sin bo aprobashon,
14 Although I do not want to do anything without your approval
pa bo no haña bo ta hasi un bondat fòrsá,
so you will not find yourself doing a good, forced,
ma dje manera akí bo por hasié di bo mes boluntat.
but in this way you can do it from your own will.
Filemon, Filemon,
Philemon, Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Bo n’ tende anto Filemon
Have you not heard (then) Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Ai malai ai malai ei
(lamentation sound)
Ai malai ai malai ei
(lamentation sound)
Si bo tabata konosé doló di katibu
If you do not know (the) pain of slave(s)
Pablito lo bo no a saka bo shiri shiri,
(Dear) Paul (diminutive)
you would not have to take out your guts,
Bo yu sin doló, mand’é bèk.
your child-without-pain to send him back.
15 Por ta mashá bon:
15 Could be very well:
pa un tempu el a alehá for di bo,
For a time he has gone away from you,
djis pa bo hañ’é bèk pa semper.
Just so you can find him back for ever.
16 Pasobra awor e no ta djis un simpel katibu:
16 Because now he is not just a simple slave:
mas ku un katibu e ta un ruman stimá.
More than a slave he is a beloved sibling.
Anto spesialmente pa mi, e ta mashá stimá!
And especially for me, he is very well loved.
Pero pa abo: mas stimá ainda, komo katibu i komo ruman den Señor.
And for you more: more loved, as a slave/servant and as sibling in (the) Lord.
17 Ke men si bo tin mi pa kompañero,
17 That is to say if you have me for (a) collaborator,
risibí Onésimo manera lo bo a risibí mi mes.
receive Onesimus as you would have received me.
Filemon, Filemon,
Philemon, Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Bo n’ tende anto Filemon
Have you not heard (then) Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Di Adam ku Eva nos ta bini.
From Adam and Eva we come
Boso Buki mes ta bisa.
Your Book itself says it
Si nos tur ta bin di tera,
If we all can come from the earth
T’un lokura abusá di esun
It is a madness to abuse
ku ta puluwé den tera.
the one who plows the earth.
18 Si el a perhudiká bo den ki forma ku ta
18 If he has damaged you in whatever manner
òf si e ta debe bo algu,
or if he owes you something
laga esei pa mi kuenta.
leave that for to my account.
19 Awor mi mes man ta skibi esaki:
19 Now my own hand writes this:
‘Ami, Pablo, ta paga bo bèk!’
“I, Paul, will pay you back!”
Mi n’ tin nodi’ kòrda bo ku bo debe serka mi ta bo mes!
There is no need for me to remind me that your debt with me is yourself!
20 Sí, mi ruman, hasi mi e fabor akí pa Señor;
20 Yes, my sibling, do this favor for me for (the) Lord;
animá mi kurason komo ruman den Kristu!
animate my heart as sibling in Christ!
Filemon, Filemon,
Philemon, Philemon
Skucha bon Filemon
Listen good, Philemon
Bo n’ tende anto Filemon
Have you not heard (then) Philemon
I am sending … back represents the epistolary aorist (see Col 4.8). What follows in Greek, “that is, my own heart,” is in apposition to “him.” What Paul means is that his love, concern, and most intimate feelings are tied up with Onesimus future, and in returning him to Philemon, Paul is sending his own deepest interests. It is as though Paul himself were going to Philemon.
In selecting a verb to translate sending, it is important to employ a term which is applicable to individuals and not merely to objects. An appropriate translation of I am sending him back to you now must often be rendered as a causative, for example, “I am now causing him to go back to you,” or “… to travel back to you,” or “… to return to you.”
The clause and with him goes my heart is an excellent idiomatic rendering of the underlying Greek text, but it is rare that such an expression can be translated literally into other languages. A more appropriate equivalent may be “he is one who is very dear to me” or “I love him very much.”
This verse was much altered by copyists; for a late resultant text, see King James Version.
The Greek for heart here is the same as in verse 7.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to Philemon. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .
Paragraph 12–14 Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon
In this letter, which Onesimus himself took to Philemon, Paul told Philemon that he was sending Onesimus back. Paul wanted Onesimus to stay with him and help him while he was in prison. But he was sending Onesimus back to Philemon because Onesimus was Philemon’s slave. It was Philemon, not Paul, who must decide whether Onesimus would come back later to help Paul while Paul was in prison.
Read verses 12–14 again.
12
sending back…him: The Greek word anapempō here means “send” or “send back.” Paul used this word because Onesimus had come from Philemon, and Paul was sending Onesimus back to him.
my very heart: These words mean that Paul loved Onesimus very much and did not want him to leave. It was like he was sending away a part of himself. If you have an expression in your language that shows this kind of strong emotion, it would be good to use it here.
Living Water is produced for the Bible translation movement in association with Lutheran Bible Translators. Lyrics derived from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®).
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