1 From the Elder—
To the dear Lady and to her children, whom I truly love. And I am not the only one, but all who know the truth love you, 2 because the truth remains in us and will be with us forever.
3 May God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, give us grace, mercy, and peace; may they be ours in truth and love.
Truth and Love
4 How happy I was to find that some of your children live in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And so I ask you, dear Lady: let us all love one another. This is no new command I am writing you; it is the command which we have had from the beginning. 6 This love I speak of means that we must live in obedience to God's commands. The command, as you have all heard from the beginning, is that you must all live in love.
7 Many deceivers have gone out over the world, people who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came as a human being. Such a person is a deceiver and the Enemy of Christ. 8 Be on your guard, then, so that you will not lose what we have worked for, but will receive your reward in full.
9 Anyone who does not stay with the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God. Whoever does stay with the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 So then, if some come to you who do not bring this teaching, do not welcome them in your homes; do not even say, “Peace be with you.” 11 For anyone who wishes them peace becomes their partner in the evil things they do.
Final Words
12 I have so much to tell you, but I would rather not do it with paper and ink; instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you personally, so that we shall be completely happy.
13 The children of your dear Sister send you their greetings.
Kontondiroo
1 Nte alifaa, m be ite musu tombondiŋo kontoŋ na. Ŋa i niŋ i la dindiŋolu kanu tooñaa kono le, aduŋ a maŋ ke nte dammaa ti, bari moolu bee mennu ye tooñaa loŋ. 2 Ŋa i kanu tooñaa le kamma, meŋ tarata ntolu kono, aduŋ a be tara la ntolu fee le fo abadaa. 3 Hiinoo, balafaa aniŋ kayiroo si tara m̀ fee ka bo Alla yaa, m̀ Faamaa, aniŋ Yeesu Kiristu*, a Dinkewo, tooñaa niŋ kanoo kono.
Tooñaa niŋ kanoo
4 Nte seewoota baake le ka ali la dindiŋolu doolu tara taama kaŋ tooñaa kono, ko m̀ Faamaa ye ǹ yaamari ñaameŋ. 5 Musu buuñaariŋo, ŋa i daani saayiŋ, ali ŋà ñoo kanu. Nte maŋ yaamari kuta safee i ye, bari yaamari kiliŋo, ŋà meŋ soto kabiriŋ foloodulaa to, ŋa wo le safee i ye. 6 Aduŋ ñiŋ ne mu kanoo ti ko, ŋà m̀ Faamaa la yaamaroolu muta. Yaamaroo, ali ye meŋ moyi kabiriŋ foloodulaa to, wo le mu ka taama kanoo kono.
Dandalaaroo neeneerilaalu la kuwo to
7 Kaatu neeneerilaa jamaa le be duniyaa kono. Wolu le mu moolu ti, mennu maŋ soŋ ko, Yeesu Kiristu keta hadamadiŋo le ti. Ñiŋ moo siifaa le mu neeneerilaa ti, aniŋ Kiristu Konnantewo. 8 Ali ali faŋ koroosi, fo ali kana foo feŋolu la, ntolu ye mennu dookuu, bari fo ali si baraaji timmariŋo soto.
9 Moo meŋ maŋ sabati Kiristu la karandiroo kono, bari a jenketa wo la, wo maarii maŋ Alla soto. Moo meŋ tarata Kiristu la karandiroo kono, wo maarii ye Faamaa niŋ a Dinkewo* bee le soto. 10 Niŋ moo-wo-moo naata ali yaa, a maŋ ñiŋ karandiroo naati, ali kana soŋ wo maarii ye duŋ ali la buŋolu kono, sako ali si a kontoŋ. 11 Kaatu moo meŋ ye wo maarii danku, a niŋ a denta a la kebaara jawoolu la le.
Kontondiri labaŋo
12 Ŋa kuu jamaa le soto ka ì safee ali ye, bari m maŋ lafi ka a safee duwaa la kayitoo bala. N jikita ko, m be naa la ali kumpabo la le. Wo to le ǹ si diyaamu ñaa niŋ ñaa la fo ǹ na seewoo si timma.
13 Ali baarimmusu tombondiŋo la dindiŋolu ye ali kontoŋ.
