1 From the church leader.
To my dear friend Gaius.
I love you because we follow the truth, 2 dear friend, and I pray all goes well for you. I hope you are as strong in body, as I know you are in spirit. 3 It makes me very happy when the Lord's followers come by and speak openly of how you obey the truth. 4 Nothing brings me greater happiness than to hear that my children are obeying the truth.
Working Together
5 Dear friend, you have always been faithful in helping other followers of the Lord, even the ones you didn't know before. 6 They have told the church about your love. They say you were good enough to welcome them and to send them on their mission in a way God's servants deserve. 7 When they left to tell others about the Lord, they decided not to accept help from anyone who wasn't a follower. 8 We must support people like them, so we can take part in what they are doing to spread the truth.
9 I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes likes to be the number-one leader, and he won't pay any attention to us. 10 So if I come, I will remind him of how he has been attacking us with gossip. Not only has he been doing this, but he refuses to welcome any of the Lord's followers who come by. And when other church members want to welcome them, he puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, don't imitate the evil deeds of others, but follow the example of people who do kind deeds. They are God's children, but those who are always doing evil have never seen God.
12 Everyone speaks well of Demetrius, and so does the true message that he teaches. I also speak well of him, and you know what I say is true.
Final Greetings
13 I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to write it with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and then we can talk in person.
15 I pray that God will bless you with peace!
Your friends send their greetings. Please give a personal greeting to each of our friends.
Kontondiroo
1 Nte alifaa, be n kanuntewo Kayus kontoŋ na, ŋa meŋ kanu tooñaa kono.
2 N kanuntewo, n jikita ko, kuwolu bee be beteyaariŋ i fee le, aduŋ i be kendeyaariŋ ne. I niyo la kuwo to, ŋa a kalamuta ko, a be bambandiŋ baake le. 3 N seewoota baake le, kabiriŋ baadiŋolu* doolu naata, ì ye i la tiliŋo seedeyaa, i be taama kaŋ tooñaa kono ñaameŋ. 4 Nte maŋ seewoo soto, meŋ warata ka tambi ñiŋ na, ka a moyi ko, n na dindiŋolu be taama kaŋ tooñaa le kono.
Ka baadiŋ taamalaalu hati
5 N kanuntewo, i tilinta dookuwo kono le, i ka meŋ ke baadiŋolu ye, hani niŋ ì mu luntaŋolu ti, i maŋ mennu loŋ. 6 Wolu ye ite la kanoo fo Yeesu noomalankoolu la kafoo ye le. A be beteyaa la le, niŋ i ye maakoyiroo dii ì la ka tenteŋ ì la taamasiloo kaŋ. I si a ke niŋ siloo la, meŋ jarita Alla ñaatiliŋo la. 7 Kaatu ì be taamoo ke kaŋ Yeesu Kiristu* too le kamma, aduŋ ì buka feŋ taa moolu bulu, mennu maŋ ke a noomalankoolu ti. 8 Wo kamma la, ǹ ñanta wo moo siifaalu maakoyi la le, fo ǹ si naa ke ì dookuuñoolu ti tooñaa kono.
Diyoterefes niŋ Demetiriyus
9 Ŋa feŋ ne safee Yeesu noomalankoolu la kafoo ye, bari Diyoterefes, meŋ lafita ka a faŋo ke ñaatonkoo ti, a balanta ntolu ma le. 10 Wo kamma la, niŋ n naata, m be a la kuwolu fo la le, a be mennu ke kaŋ. A ka ǹ koomakuma jawuke le. Aduŋ wo maŋ a wasa, bari a ka balaŋ ka baadiŋolu jiyaa. A ka moolu fanaa bali, mennu lafita wolu jiyaa la, aduŋ a ka ì bayi Yeesu la kafoo kono.
11 N kanuntewo, kana kuu jawoo nikiŋ, bari kuu betoo. Moo meŋ ka kuu betoo ke, wo bota Alla le yaa. Bari moo meŋ ka kuu jawoo ke, wo maarii nene maŋ Alla je. 12 Demetiriyus ye seedeyaa betoo le soto, moolu bee ka meŋ fo, hani tooñaa faŋo sonta meŋ na. Ntolu fanaa ye a la kuu betoo fo le, aduŋ ite ye a loŋ ne ko, ǹ na seedeyaa mu tooñaa le ti.
Kontondiri labaŋolu
13 Ŋa kuu jamaa le soto ka ì safee ite ye, bari m maŋ lafi ka a ke duwaa niŋ kalaa la. 14 N jikita ko, a te mee la, m be i je la, wo to le ǹ si diyaamu ñaa niŋ ñaa la. 15 Kayiroo be i fee. I teeroolu ye i kontoŋ. I si n teeroolu kiliŋ-kiliŋ naa kontoŋ n ye, ì toolu la.
