1 From the Elder—
To my dear Gaius, whom I truly love.
2 My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health—as I know you are well in spirit. 3 I was so happy when some Christians arrived and told me how faithful you are to the truth—just as you always live in the truth. 4 Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children live in the truth.
Gaius Is Praised
5 My dear friend, you are so faithful in the work you do for other Christians, even when they are strangers. 6 They have spoken to the church here about your love. Please help them to continue their trip in a way that will please God. 7 For they set out on their trip in the service of Christ without accepting any help from unbelievers. 8 We Christians, then, must help these people, so that we may share in their work for the truth.
Diotrephes and Demetrius
9 I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say. 10 When I come, then, I will bring up everything he has done: the terrible things he says about us and the lies he tells! But that is not enough for him; he will not receive the Christians when they come, and even stops those who want to receive them and tries to drive them out of the church!
11 My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good belongs to God; whoever does what is bad has not seen God.
12 Everyone speaks well of Demetrius; truth itself speaks well of him. And we add our testimony, and you know that what we say is true.
Final Greetings
13 I have so much to tell you, but I do not want to do it with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk personally.
15 Peace be with you.
All your friends send greetings. Greet all our friends personally.
1 Nyii kwɔrɔ kwir Shekh ŋgwa kwɔlɔcca-ŋa ŋaaŋwa kwǝni Ghaayuus kwǝṯir amɽi, nǝ kwǝṯi-nyii amɽi rerrem.
2 Kwimɽi kwiinyi kwǝṯi-nyii amɽi, nyii kwǝṯi aari kiyiiri mindaŋ mǝ ŋiɽaŋal tatap saawi ŋǝni ŋaaŋa, mindaŋ mǝ aŋna wɔɔŋa aami naanɔŋw tok; ŋilŋithi-nyji rac ethaarɔŋw a kwisaaw ki-rogɽo rɔɔŋwa. 3 Kaka naaminy-gwɔna beṯṯen liyǝŋgǝr-li lokwo limǝ ɔppatha, mindaŋ nǝr andasi shahaaḏa kwǝthi ŋethre ŋisaaw ŋir rerrem, kaka nǝṯsi-gwɔ elela ŋa ŋir rerrem. 4 Nyiiti kwǝthi ṯinyiŋla-na ṯeere kwokwony mac ṯithǝmthi-lǝ kɔthɔ, ethisi neŋne ŋa ŋǝthi nyɔr nyiinyi nyaami eleŋw ki-ŋiɽaŋal-na ŋir rerrem.
Ghaayuus mǝr-gwɔ biɽǝthǝ yiriny.
5 Kwimɽi kwiinyi kwaṯi-nyii amɽi, a kwǝni kwirllalɔ beṯṯen ki-ŋiɽaŋal-na ŋa ŋǝṯisi ǝrrici liyǝŋgǝri-ŋwɔsi, mǝroro kinnǝni lithimthina tok, 6 nǝrsi kette ŋǝthi shahaaḏa kwǝthi ṯamɽa ṯɔɔŋwa kiyǝnǝ yǝthi kǝniisǝ. Ŋǝni ŋisaaw beṯṯen mǝsi ɔɔsi etheele ki-thaay-la ṯeeŋen ethisi mǝcci kila lǝṯi ǝkkici Allah ŋothɽor 7 Kaka mǝr-gwɔ ruu nǝreele sǝbǝb-gi kwǝthi Kwɔrɔstɔ, nǝreere ǝmmini ethaavi kwomne kweere mac ki-lizi-nǝ liira ṯǝmminǝ 8 Ŋwɔṯaŋw nǝr ɔvthanni laazim ethi mǝcci lizi lir kaka ṯǝŋw mindaŋ mǝr-li ɔɽɔmaṯṯi ki-ŋothɽor-na ŋir rerrem.
Ḏiiyuuṯiriifɔs-ŋǝ Ḏiimiṯiriiyuus-gi.
9 Ŋimǝ-nyji locce kǝniisǝ ŋette; laakin Ḏiiyuuṯiriifɔs kwǝṯi amɽi ethi iŋni rogɽo ruuŋwun, nɔŋweere ǝmmini nyuŋwɔ ethǝthi sɔlṯa mac. 10 Ŋwɔṯaŋw mǝnyii iila tǝ, nyji ruwǝzǝlɔ ŋa tatap ŋǝṯɔŋwsi ǝrri, nǝ ŋa ŋǝṯɔŋwsi andisasa nyuŋwɔ naana ŋigii-ŋigii. Nǝ nǝreere urǝthǝ ŋunduŋw ŋa mac, laakin ǝṯɔŋwseere aalanni kila lir liyǝŋgǝri-ŋǝ mac, nǝ ǝṯɔŋwsi ṯiinyini kila lǝṯisi naŋni ethisi aalanni, nǝ ǝṯɔŋwsi rutti kithaay kǝniisǝ-nǝ.
11 Kwimɽi kwiinyi kwǝṯi-nyii amɽi, ǝṯeere ṯǝccicini ŋikiyaŋi mac, laakin ǝṯi kǝniny ṯǝccicini ŋisanna; ŋgwa kwǝṯisi ǝrri ŋigii ǝṯɔŋweere ese Allah mac. 12 Nǝ ŋǝthi Ḏiimiṯiriiyuus tǝ, ǝṯirsi andasi kila tatap ŋǝni ŋundu ŋisaaw-ŋisaaw, nǝ ŋa ŋir rerrem ǝṯir ruwǝzi ŋethre-lɔ ŋuuŋun; nǝ nyii wɔɽe-wɔɽeny ǝṯi-nyii kette shahaaḏa kwǝni ŋundu, nǝ nelŋe tok ethaarɔŋw shahaaḏa kwiinyi kwir rerrem.
Ṯaaginna ṯirimthithɔ.
13 Ŋǝthi-nyji ŋittǝzir ethisi lɔcca ŋaaŋwɔ, laakin ninyeere naŋni ethi lɔcca ŋaaŋwɔ galam-gi nǝ hibir-yi tok mac. 14 Nyii kwɔrittathɔ etheese ŋaaŋwɔ fittak, mindaŋ mǝndi iisithi kiyǝnǝ ethi andasi.
15 Ethi ŋiiɽǝnnǝ naani naani-ŋa-gwɔ. Limath laaginna-ŋa. Aaginna limathi tatap.