< 3 John 1 >

1 [You(sg) know me as] the [chief] Elder. [I am writing this letter to you], my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.
Kuuma kũrĩ niĩ Mũthuuri wa Kanitha, Ndakwandĩkĩra, wee mũrata wakwa mwendwa Gayo, ũrĩa nyendete kũna kũna.
2 Dear friend, I ask [God that things may go] well for you in every way, [specifically], that you will be physically healthy just like you are spiritually healthy [MTY].
Mũrata wakwa mwendwa, mahooya makwa nĩ atĩ ũkenagĩre ũgima wa mwĩrĩ, na atĩ maũndũ mothe magaacĩre, o ta ũrĩa ngoro yaku ĩikarĩte ĩgaacĩire.
3 I am very happy because some fellow believers have come [here] and told me that you conduct your life in a manner [that is consistent with God’s] true message.
Nĩndĩrakenire mũno nĩ ũndũ wa ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ amwe gũũka kũnjĩĩra ũhoro wa wĩhokeku waku ũhoro-inĩ ũrĩa wa ma, na ũrĩa ũkĩrĩrĩirie gũthiĩ na njĩra ya ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma.
4 I am very happy when I hear that (people whom I helped to believe in Christ/my [spiritual] children) are conducting their lives like you are!
Gũtirĩ ũndũ ũngĩ ũngenagia gũkĩra kũigua atĩ ciana ciakwa no ithiiaga irũmĩrĩire njĩra ĩrĩa ya ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma.
5 Dear friend, you are [serving Jesus] loyally/faithfully whenever you do things to help fellow believers, [even those whom you] do not know, who are traveling [around doing God’s work].
Mũrata wakwa mwendwa, wee nĩũkoragwo ũrĩ mwĩhokeku thĩinĩ wa maũndũ marĩa wĩkagĩra ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ, o na gũtuĩka ndũmooĩ.
6 [Some of] them have reported before the congregation [here how] you have showed that you love them. You should continue to help such people in their travels in a way that is pleasing to God.
Nĩmerĩĩte kanitha ũhoro wa wendani waku. Nĩ wega ũmoimagarie o ta ũrĩa kwagĩrĩire harĩ Ngai.
7 When those fellow believers went out [to tell people about Jesus] [MTY], the people who do not believe in Christ did not give them anything [to help them].
Moimagarire nĩ ũndũ wa Rĩĩtwa rĩake na makĩrega ũteithio kuuma kũrĩ andũ arĩa matetĩkĩtie Ngai.
8 So we [who believe in Christ] ought to give food and money to such people to help [them as they teach others God’s] true message.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ithuĩ-rĩ, twagĩrĩirwo gũtaanahagĩra andũ ta acio nĩgeetha tũrutithanagie wĩra wa ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma tũrĩ hamwe.
9 I wrote [a letter] to the congregation [telling them to help those fellow believers]. However, Diotrephes does not (acknowledge my authority/[pay any attention to what] I wrote), because he (desires to be in charge/wants to be the leader) of [the congregation].
Nĩndandĩkĩire kanitha, no Diotirefe, ũrĩa wendaga gũtuĩka ta mũnene, nĩareganire na ithuĩ.
10 So, when I arrive [there], I will [publicly] tell what he does: He tells others evil nonsense about us [in order to] harm [us by what he] says, and he is not content with only doing that. He himself refuses to receive the fellow believers who are traveling around doing God’s work, and he also stops those who want to receive them by expelling them from the congregation.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ndooka, nĩngoiga maũndũ marĩa ekaga, kwaria ndeto cia mũhuhu na cia gũtũcambia. Ningĩ akaaga kũiganwo nĩ ũguo, akarega kũnyiita ariũ na aarĩ a Ithe witũ ũgeni. Agacooka akagirĩrĩria arĩa mekwenda gwĩka ũguo o na akamaingata kanitha-inĩ.
11 Dear friend, do not imitate a bad [example like that]. Instead, [keep imitating] good [examples. Remember that] people who do good deeds ([truly] belong to God/are [spiritual children] of God), [but] those who do [what is] evil do not (know/have fellowship with) God.
Mũrata wakwa mwendwa, ndũkanae kwĩgerekania na ũhoro ũrĩa mũũru, no wĩgerekanagie na ũhoro ũrĩa mwega. Mũndũ o wothe ũrĩa wĩkaga wega nĩ wa Ngai. Nake ũrĩa wothe wĩkaga ũũru ũcio ndarĩ ona Ngai.
12 All [the believers who know Demetrius] say that he [is a good person]. The fact [that he conducts his life in a way that is consistent/in accordance with God’s] true [message] shows [that he is a good person], and we also say the same thing [about him]. You know that what we say [about him] is true. [So it will be good if you welcome him and help him. He is the one who will be bringing this letter to you].
Demeterio nĩagathagĩrĩrio nĩ andũ othe, o na ũhoro ũrĩa wa ma guo mwene. O na ithuĩ nĩtũmũgaathagĩrĩria, na inyuĩ nĩmũũĩ atĩ ũira witũ nĩ wa ma.
13 [When I began] to write this letter, I had much more [that I intended] to tell you. But [now] I do not want to say [it] in a letter [MTY].
Ndĩ na maũndũ maingĩ ma gũkwandĩkĩra, no ndikwenda gũkwandĩkĩra na karamu na rangi.
14 Instead, I expect to [come and] see you soon. Then we will talk directly with one another. [I pray that God will enable] you [to experience inner] peace. Our friends [here] (send you their greetings/say that they are thinking affectionately about you) [MTY]. Tell our friends [there] that we (send our greetings to/are thinking fondly about) them.
Ndĩ na mwĩhoko wa gũkuona ica ikuhĩ, twaranĩrie tũkĩonanaga. Thayũ ũroogĩa kũrĩwe. Arata arĩa me gũkũ nĩmakũgeithia. Geithia arata arĩa marĩ kũu na marĩĩtwa mao.

< 3 John 1 >