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.

Lokwalo lo lo tswa kwa go: Nna Johane, mogolwane wa phuthego. Ke lo kwalela: Gaeyo yo ke mo ratang ka boammaaruri.

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].

Tsala e e rategang, ke rapelela gore o segofale mo dilong tsotlhe le gore mmele wa gago o itekanele fela jaaka ke itse ka fa mowa wa gago o itekanetseng ka teng.

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.

Bangwe ba bakaulengwe ba ba kileng ba tla kwano ba intumedisitse thata ka go mpolelela gore botshelo jwa gago bo phepa ebile bo boammaaruri ka nako tsotlhe, le gore o tshela kafa Mafokong a a Molemo.

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!

Go ne go se na boitumelo bope jo ke neng ka nna najo go gaisa go utlwa dikgang tse di ntseng jalo ka bongwanake.

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].

Tsala e e rategang, o direla Modimo tiro e e molemo ka go tlhokomela baruti ba e leng batsamai le bareri ba ba fetang.

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.

Ba boleletse phuthego kwano ka botsalano jwa lona le ditiro tsa gago tsa lorato. Ke itumela fa e a re ba tsamaya o ba fe dimpho ka bopelotshweu.

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].

Gonne ba tsamaela Morena, mme ga ba tseye dijo, diaparo, mogope (tante) le fa e le madi mo go ba e seng Bakeresete, le fa tota ba ba reretse.

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.

Jalo rona ka sebele re tshwanetse ra ba tlhokomela gore re tle re nne badiri le bone mo tirong ya Morena.

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].

Ke romeletse phuthego lokwalo lo lo khutshwane ka selo se, mme Dioterefese wa moikgantshi, yo o ratang go itshusumeletsa kwa pele go nna moeteledipele wa Bakeresete teng koo, ga a batle ke mo laola ebile o gana go ntheetsa.

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.

E tlaa re ke tsena koo ke tlaa go bolelela dingwe tsa dilo tse a di dirang le ka dilo tse di sa siamang tse a buang kaga me le ka puo e e tlhapatsang. Ga a gane fela go amogela batsamaisi ba Lefoko la Modimo, mme o raya ba bangwe a re ba seka ba ba amogela, mme fa ba dira jalo o leka go ba kgaola mo phuthegong.

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.

Tsala e e rategang, o seka wa letla sekao se se maswe se go go tlhotlheletsa. Sala morago fela se se molemo. Gakologelwa gore ba ba dirang tshiamo ba supa gore ke bana ba Modimo; mme ba ba tswelelang ba dira bosula ba supa gore ba kgakala le Modimo.

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].

Mme batho botlhe, le Boammaaruri tota ba bua ka Demeterio. Le nna ka sebele ke ka bua jalo kaga gagwe, mme oa itse gore ke bua boammaaruri.

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].

Ke na le go le gontsi mo ke ka go buang mme ga ke batle go go kwala,

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.

gonne ke solofela go go bona mo bogautshwaneng mme ke gone re tlaa buang go le gontsi re le mmogo. Ke gone salang sentle. Ditsala kwano di a lo dumedisa, mme tswee-tswee o ntumedisetse mongwe le mongwe koo. Wa lona ruri, Johane.