3 Sione 1

1 Ko e motuʻa ki he ʻofeina ko Keio, ʻaia ʻoku ou ʻofa moʻoni ki ai;

[You(sg) know me as] the [chief] Elder. [I am writing this letter to you], my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.

2 ‌ʻE ʻofeina, ko e fungani ʻi he meʻa ʻoku ou kolea, ke ke monūʻia, mo moʻui mālōlō, ʻo hangē pe ko e monūʻia ʻo ho laumālie.

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].

3 He ne u fiefia lahi, ʻi he haʻu ʻae kāinga, ʻo fakamoʻoni ki he moʻoni ʻoku ʻiate koe, ʻo hangē ko hoʻo ʻeveʻeva ʻi he moʻoni.

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.

4 ‌ʻOku ʻikai haʻaku fiefia ʻe lahi hake, ka ko ʻeku fanongo ʻoku ʻaʻeva ʻeku fānau ʻi he moʻoni.

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!

5 ‌ʻE ʻofeina, ʻoku ke fai angatotonu pe ʻaia ʻoku ke fai ki he ngaahi kāinga, mo e kakai muli;

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].

6 Pea kuo nau fakamoʻoni ʻi he ʻao ʻoe siasi ki hoʻo ʻofa: pea kapau te ke moimoiʻi ʻakinautolu ʻi heʻenau fononga ʻo taau mo e ʻOtua, ko hoʻo fai lelei ia:

[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.

7 He naʻe ʻalu atu ʻakinautolu koeʻuhi ko hono huafa, ʻo ʻikai maʻu ha meʻa mei he kakai Senitaile.

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].

8 Ko ia ʻoku totonu ai ʻetau talia ʻae kakai pehē, ke tau hoko ko e kau tokoni ki he moʻoni.

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.

9 Ne u tohi ki he siasi: ka ko Taiotifi ʻoku manako ke lahi hake ʻiate kinautolu, ʻoku ʻikai te ne tali ʻakinautolu.

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].

10 Ko ia, kapau te u ʻalu atu, te u manatu ki heʻene ngaahi ngāue ʻoku ne fai, ʻa ʻene palau kiate kitautolu ʻi he ngaahi lea kovi: pea ʻi heʻene taʻefiu ai, ʻoku ʻikai te ne tali ʻe ia ʻae kāinga, pea ʻoku ne taʻofi kiate kinautolu naʻe loto ki ai, ʻo ne kapusi [ʻakinautolu ]mei he siasi.

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.

11 ‌ʻE ʻofeina, ʻoua naʻa angimui ki ha kovi, ka ko ia pe ʻoku lelei. Ko ia ʻoku ne fai lelei, ʻoku ʻoe ʻOtua ia: ka ko ia ʻoku ne fai kovi, kuo ʻikai mamata ia ki he ʻOtua,

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.

12 ‌ʻOku ongoongolelei ʻa Temetelio ʻi he kakai kotoa pē, pea ʻi he moʻoni foki: ʻio, pea ʻoku mau fakamoʻoni foki; pea ʻoku mou ʻilo ʻoku moʻoni ʻemau fakamoʻoni.

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].

13 Kuo lahi ʻae meʻa ke u tohi atu ai, ka ʻoku ʻikai teu loto ke tohi kiate koe ʻaki ʻae vaitohi mo e peni:

[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].

14 Ka ʻoku ou ʻamanaki ʻe vave ʻeku mamata kiate koe, pea te ta alea ʻo femamataʻaki. Ke ʻiate koe ʻae fiemālie. ʻOku ʻofa atu ʻae kāinga kiate koe. Tala ʻae ʻofa ki he kāinga, ʻo huaʻaki [honau ] hingoa.

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.