3 UJohane 1

1 Umdala, kuye uGayusi othandekayo, mina engimthanda ngeqiniso.

The elder to beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.

2 Sithandwa, kuzo zonke izinto ngifisa ukuthi uphumelele njalo uphile, njengalokhu umphefumulo wakho uphumelela.

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be healthy, just as it is well with your soul.

3 Ngoba ngathokoza kakhulukazi, lapho kufika abazalwane, befakazela iqiniso lakho, njengoba wena uhamba eqinisweni.

For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and bore witness to your truth, just as you walk in truth.

4 Kangilantokozo enkulu edlula lezizinto, ukuthi ngizwe ukuthi abantwana bami bahamba eqinisweni.

I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children walk in the truth.

5 Sithandwa, wenza ngokuthembeka loba yikuphi okwenza kubazalwane lakwabemzini,

Beloved, you practice faithfulness whenever you work for the brothers and for strangers

6 abafakazele uthando lwakho phambi kwebandla; uzakwenza kuhle uba ubaphelekezela ngokufanele uNkulunkulu.

who have borne witness of your love in the presence of the church. You do well to send them off on their journey in a manner worthy of God,

7 Ngoba ngenxa yebizo lakhe baphumile bengemukeli lutho kwabezizwe.

because it was for the sake of the name that they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.

8 Ngakho thina sifanele ukubemukela abanjalo, ukuze sibe yizisebenzi kanye leqiniso.

We therefore should welcome such as these, so that we will be fellow workers for the truth.

9 Ngabhalela ibandla; kodwa uDiyotrefe othanda ukuba ngowokuqala kubo kasemukeli.

I wrote something to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not receive us.

10 Ngakho, uba ngifika, ngizakhumbuza imisebenzi yakhe ayenzayo, uyasihleba ngamazwi amabi; futhi kakholiswa yilezizinto, yena uqobo kemukeli abazalwane, uyabalela lalabo abathanda ukukwenza, njalo uyabaxotsha ebandleni.

So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. Not satisfied with that, he not only refused to welcome the brothers himself, but he also stops those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the church.

11 Sithandwa, ungakulingiseli okubi, kodwa okuhle. Owenza okuhle ungokaNkulunkulu; kodwa owenza okubi kambonanga uNkulunkulu.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

12 NgoDemetriyu kufakazwe yibo bonke, langeqiniso uqobo; lathi futhi siyafakaza, lani liyazi ukuthi ubufakazi bethu buqinisile.

Demetrius is borne witness to by all and by the truth itself. We also bear witness, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 Bengilezinto ezinengi zokubhala, kodwa kangithandi ukukubhalela ngeyinki losiba;

I had many things to write to you, but I do not wish to write them to you with pen and ink.

14 kodwa ngithemba ukukubona masinyane, sibe sesikhuluma umlomo ngomlomo. Ukuthula kakube kuwe. Abangane bayakubingelela. Bingelela abangane ngamabizo.

But I expect to see you soon, and we will speak face to face. May peace be with you. The friends greet you. Greet our friends there by name.