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.

Min o nikpelo, n diani li tili ne ki teni n buado Gayusi yua ke n bua o leni mɔmɔni.

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].

N buado, n bua ŋan ya pia laafia, ke a bona kuli ń ya cuoni a yenyienu nni, nani ŋan cuoni maama fini leni U Tienu siiga yeni.

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.

N pali mangi a po, kelima a ninjaba Kristo yaaba den cua ne ki maadi nni, ke a ye i mɔmɔni sanu nni nani ŋan den li ye lini maama yeni.

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!

Lbá ki ŋanbi ki mangi n pali nani min ti gbadi ke U Tienu bila kuli cuoni i mɔmɔni sanu nni.

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].

N buado, a sɔni lan buali maama ti ninjaba Kristo yaaba po, bá ban li tie bi canba mɔno.

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.

Ban yaaba n cua ki maadi nni ke a pia mi buama ku jaanddiegu yeni, n miadi a ke a todi ba U Tienu n bua maama ke ban gedi bi sanu.

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].

Kelima Jesu Kristo po n cedi ke bi cuoni li sanu; kaa gaa lbá yaaba n ki bani U Tienu kani

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.

Lan niba ke li dagdi ke tin gaa ba, tin ya taa ki ye, ki tie U Tienu tuonsɔnla i mɔmɔni sanu nni.

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].

N den diani maama bá ki teni ku jaanddiegu, ama Diotrefi yua bua wan ya tie liiga yua yeni, ki tuo ti maama.

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.

Lan ya po n cedi, ti ya ti cua, n ba togdi yi wan tie yua, leni wan maadi ti po ya mabiidi; laa dagdi o po, ke o gɔ ki gaani ti ninjaba Kristo yaaba, ki gɔ yen pani yaaba n bua ban gaa ba, ki beli ki ñani ba ku jaanddiegu nni.

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.

N buado, da togdi bonbiigu tienma, se yaala n ŋani. Yua tie yaala n ŋani U Tienu bani o, yua tie yaala n bia kan lá U Tienu.

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].

Bi niba kuli pagi Demetrisi, tinba mɔno tie sieda o po, fin mɔno bani ke ti sieda tie mɔni.

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].

N gɔ pia mi maama boncianla ki bua maadi ama n nan ki bua ke n diani ma li tili nni ki teni a.

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.

N maali ki kan waagi leni min lá ŋa, ke tin ŋanbi ki boe. Mi yanduanma ń ya ye leni a. N dɔnlinba fuondi a. Fuondi fuondi ti dɔnlinba.