3 Sione 1

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

The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.

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.

My dear friend, I pray that you may in all respects prosper and enjoy good health, just as your soul already prospers.

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.

For it is an intense joy to me when brethren come and bear witness to your fidelity to the truth--that you live in obedience to the truth.

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

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.

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

My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.

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:

They have testified, in the presence of the Church, to your love; and you will do well to help them on their journey in a manner worthy of your fellowship with God.

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

For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

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

It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, so that we may be fellow workers in promoting the truth.

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 to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, refuses to listen to us.

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.

For this reason, if I come, I shall not forget his conduct, nor his idle and mischievous talk against us. And he does not stop there: he not only will not receive the brethren, but those who desire to do this he hinders, and excludes them from the Church.

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,

My dear friend, do not follow wrong examples, but right ones. He who habitually does what is right is a child of God: he who habitually does what is wrong has not seen 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.

The character of Demetrius has the approval of all men, and of the truth itself. We also express our approval of it, and you know that we only give our approval to that which is true.

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:

I have a great deal to say to you, but I do not wish to go on writing it with ink and pen.

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.

But I hope to see you very soon, and then we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends send greetings to you. Greet our friends individually.