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.
Ngai mpaka; Epai ya Gayusi, molingami na ngai, oyo nalingaka kati na solo.
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].
Molingami na ngai, posa makasi ya motema na ngai ezali ete okende liboso na makambo na yo nyonso, mpe ozala na nzoto kolongono, ndenge molimo na yo ezali kokola.
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.
Nasepelaki makasi koyoka litatoli na tina na yo, na monoko ya bandeko oyo bayaki wuta epai na yo, ete ozali kokoba kokangama na bosolo, mpe ozali kobika kolanda bosolo yango.
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!
Nazalaka na esengo makasi tango nayokaka ete bana na ngai bazali kobika kolanda bosolo.
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].
Molingami na ngai, makambo oyo osalaka mpo na bandeko kati na kondima, ezala mpo na ba-oyo bazali bapaya na miso na yo, osalaka yango penza kolanda kondima na yo.
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.
Batatolaki na miso ya Lingomba na tina na bolingo na yo. Bongo, okosala lisusu malamu koleka soki osungi bango, na lolenge oyo ekosepelisa Nzambe, mpo ete bakoba mobembo na bango.
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].
Pamba te ezali mpo na kosakola Klisto nde bazali kotambola mpe koboya kozwa lisungi na maboko ya Bapagano.
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.
Boye, tosengeli kosunga bato ya lolenge oyo mpo ete tosangana na bango na makambo oyo bazali kosala mpo na solo.
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].
Nakomelaki Lingomba mokanda moko ya mokuse; kasi Diotrefi, oyo alingaka kaka kozala mokonzi na makambo nyonso, akoyamba biso te.
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.
Yango wana, tango nakoya, nakobimisa mabe na ye na polele; azali koloba makambo ya mabe mpe ya lokuta na tina na biso. Mpe asuki kaka wana te, azali ata koboya koyamba bandimi mosusu, azali kopekisa, kotelemela mpe kobengana na Lingomba, bato oyo bandimi koyamba bango.
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.
Molingami na ngai, komekolaka mabe te, mekolaka nde bolamu. Moto oyo asalaka bolamu azali ya Nzambe, kasi moto oyo asalaka mabe ayebi Nzambe te.
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].
Bato nyonso bazali kopesa litatoli ya malamu na tina na Demetriusi, ezala yango moko bosolo ezali mpe kopesa litatoli ya malamu na tina na ye. Biso mpe tozali kopesa litatoli ya malamu na tina na ye, mpe oyebi malamu ete litatoli na biso ezalaka ya solo.
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].
Nazali lisusu na makambo ebele ya kokomela yo, kasi naboyi kosala yango na nzela ya ekomeli mpe ya mayi na yango.
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.
Nazali kolikya komona yo kala mingi te, bongo tokosolola malamu. Tika ete kimia ezala na yo! Balingami ya awa bapesi yo mbote. Pesa mpe balingami ya kuna mbote, moko na moko na kombo na ye.
