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.
Dari penatua kepada Gayus yang kekasih, yang kukasihi dalam kebenaran.
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].
Saudaraku yang kekasih, aku berdoa, semoga engkau baik-baik dan sehat-sehat saja dalam segala sesuatu, sama seperti jiwamu baik-baik saja.
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.
Sebab aku sangat bersukacita, ketika beberapa saudara datang dan memberi kesaksian tentang hidupmu dalam kebenaran, sebab memang engkau hidup dalam kebenaran.
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!
Bagiku tidak ada sukacita yang lebih besar dari pada mendengar, bahwa anak-anakku hidup dalam kebenaran.
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].
Saudaraku yang kekasih, engkau bertindak sebagai orang percaya, di mana engkau berbuat segala sesuatu untuk saudara-saudara, sekalipun mereka adalah orang-orang asing.
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.
Mereka telah memberi kesaksian di hadapan jemaat tentang kasihmu. Baik benar perbuatanmu, jikalau engkau menolong mereka dalam perjalanan mereka, dengan suatu cara yang berkenan kepada Allah.
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].
Sebab karena nama-Nya mereka telah berangkat dengan tidak menerima sesuatupun dari orang-orang yang tidak mengenal Allah.
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.
Kita wajib menerima orang-orang yang demikian, supaya kita boleh mengambil bagian dalam pekerjaan mereka untuk kebenaran.
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].
Aku telah menulis sedikit kepada jemaat, tetapi Diotrefes yang ingin menjadi orang terkemuka di antara mereka, tidak mau mengakui kami.
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.
Karena itu, apabila aku datang, aku akan meminta perhatian atas segala perbuatan yang telah dilakukannya, sebab ia meleter melontarkan kata-kata yang kasar terhadap kami; dan belum merasa puas dengan itu, ia sendiri bukan saja tidak mau menerima saudara-saudara yang datang, tetapi juga mencegah orang-orang, yang mau menerima mereka dan mengucilkan orang-orang itu dari jemaat.
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.
Saudaraku yang kekasih, janganlah meniru yang jahat, melainkan yang baik. Barangsiapa berbuat baik, ia berasal dari Allah, tetapi barangsiapa berbuat jahat, ia tidak pernah melihat Allah.
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].
Tentang Demetrius semua orang memberi kesaksian yang baik, malah kebenaran sendiri memberi kesaksian yang demikian. Dan kami juga memberi kesaksian yang baik tentang dia, dan engkau tahu, bahwa kesaksian kami adalah benar.
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].
Banyak hal yang harus kutuliskan kepadamu, tetapi aku tidak mau menulis kepadamu dengan tinta dan pena.
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.
Aku harap segera berjumpa dengan engkau dan berbicara berhadapan muka. Damai sejahtera menyertai engkau! Salam dari sahabat-sahabatmu. Sampaikanlah salamku kepada sahabat-sahabat satu per satu.
