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.
prācīno 'haṁ satyamatād yasmin prīye taṁ priyatamaṁ gāyaṁ prati patraṁ likhāmi|
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].
he priya, tavātmā yādṛk śubhānvitastādṛk sarvvaviṣaye tava śubhaṁ svāsthyañca bhūyāt|
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.
bhrātṛbhirāgatya tava satyamatasyārthatastvaṁ kīdṛk satyamatamācarasyetasya sākṣye datte mama mahānando jātaḥ|
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!
mama santānāḥ satyamatamācarantītivārttāto mama ya ānando jāyate tato mahattaro nāsti|
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].
he priya, bhrātṛn prati viśeṣatastān videśino bhṛtṛn prati tvayā yadyat kṛtaṁ tat sarvvaṁ viśvāsino yogyaṁ|
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.
te ca samiteḥ sākṣāt tava pramnaḥ pramāṇaṁ dattavantaḥ, aparam īśvarayogyarūpeṇa tān prasthāpayatā tvayā satkarmma kāriṣyate|
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].
yataste tasya nāmnā yātrāṁ vidhāya bhinnajātīyebhyaḥ kimapi na gṛhītavantaḥ|
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.
tasmād vayaṁ yat satyamatasya sahāyā bhavema tadarthametādṛśā lokā asmābhiranugrahītavyāḥ|
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].
samitiṁ pratyahaṁ patraṁ likhitavān kintu teṣāṁ madhye yo diyatriphiḥ pradhānāyate so 'smān na gṛhlāti|
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.
ato 'haṁ yadopasthāsyāmi tadā tena yadyat kriyate tat sarvvaṁ taṁ smārayiṣyāmi, yataḥ sa durvvākyairasmān apavadati, tenāpi tṛptiṁ na gatvā svayamapi bhrātṛn nānugṛhlāti ye cānugrahītumicchanti tān samitito 'pi bahiṣkaroti|
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.
he priya, tvayā duṣkarmma nānukriyatāṁ kintu satkarmmaiva| yaḥ satkarmmācārī sa īśvarāt jātaḥ, yo duṣkarmmācārī sa īśvaraṁ na dṛṣṭavān|
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].
dīmītriyasya pakṣe sarvvaiḥ sākṣyam adāyi viśeṣataḥ satyamatenāpi, vayamapi tatpakṣe sākṣyaṁ dadmaḥ, asmākañca sākṣyaṁ satyameveti yūyaṁ jānītha|
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].
tvāṁ prati mayā bahūni lekhitavyāni kintu masīlekhanībhyāṁ lekhituṁ necchāmi|
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.
acireṇa tvāṁ drakṣyāmīti mama pratyāśāste tadāvāṁ sammukhībhūya parasparaṁ sambhāṣiṣyāvahe| tava śānti rbhūyāt| asmākaṁ mitrāṇi tvāṁ namaskāraṁ jñāpayanti tvamapyekaikasya nāma procya mitrebhyo namaskuru| iti|
