¹The Elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth!

¹Mimi mzee nakuandikia wewe Gayo, rafiki yangu, ninayekupenda kweli.

²beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even as thy soul doth prosper,

²Mpenzi wangu, nakutakia mafanikio mema ya kila aina; nakutakia afya njema ya mwili kama ulivyo nayo rohoni.

³for I rejoiced exceedingly, brethren coming and testifying of the truth in thee, even as thou in truth dost walk;

³Nimefurahi sana ndugu kadhaa walipofika hapa, wakaiambia juu ya uaminifu wako kuhusu ukweli; naam, wewe unaishi daima katika ukweli.

⁴greater than these things I have no joy, that I may hear of my children in truth walking.

⁴Hakuna kitu kinachonifurahisha zaidi kuliko kusikia kwamba watoto wangu wanaishi katika ukweli.

⁵Beloved, faithfully dost thou do whatever thou mayest work to the brethren and to the strangers,

⁵Mpenzi wangu, wewe ni mwaminifu kila mara unapowahudumia ndugu, hata kama ni wageni.

⁶who did testify of thy love before an assembly, whom thou wilt do well, having sent forward worthily of God,

⁶Ndugu hao wamelieleza kanisa hapa habari za upendo wako. Tafadhali uwasaidie waendelee na safari yao kwa namna itakayompendeza Mungu,

⁷because for [His] name they went forth, nothing receiving from the nations;

⁷Maana wanaanza safari yao katika utumishi wa Kristo bila kupokea msaada wowote kutoka kwa watu wasioamini.

⁸we, then, ought to receive such, that fellow-workers we may become to the truth.

⁸Basi, sisi tunapaswa kuwasaidia watu hawa, ili nasi tupate kushiriki katika kazi yao kwa ajili ya ukweli.

⁹I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them — Diotrephes — doth not receive us;

⁹Niliandika barua fupi kwa hilo kanisa; lakini Diotrefe, ambaye hupenda kuwa kiongozi wao, hataki kabisa kunisikiliza.

¹⁰because of this, if I may come, I will cause him to remember his works that he doth, with evil words prating against us; and not content with these, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and those intending he doth forbid, and out of the assembly he doth cast.

¹⁰Basi, nitakapokuja nitayafichua mambo yote anayofanya, maneno mabaya anayotutolea na uongo anaosema juu yetu. Isitoshe, yeye hukataa kuwakaribisha hao ndugu walio safarini, na hata huwazuia watu wengine wanaotaka kuwakaribisha, na hujaribu kuwafukuzia nje ya kanisa.

¹¹Beloved, be not thou following that which is evil, but that which is good; he who is doing good, of God he is, and he who is doing evil hath not seen God;

¹¹Mpenzi wangu, usifuate mfano mbaya, bali mfano mwema. Kila atendaye mema ni wa Mungu; lakini anayetenda mabaya hajapata kumwona Mungu.

¹²to Demetrius testimony hath been given by all, and by the truth itself, and we also — we do testify, and ye have known that our testimony is true.

¹²Kila mtu anamsifu Demetrio; naam, ukweli wenyewe unamsifu. Nasi pia tunatoa ushahidi wetu juu yake, nawe wajua kwamba tunachosema ni kweli.

¹³Many things I had to write, but I do not wish through ink and pen to write to thee,

¹³Ninayo bado mengi ya kukwambia, lakini sipendi kuyaandika kwa kalamu na wino.

¹⁴and I hope straightway to see thee, and mouth to mouth we shall speak. Peace to thee! salute thee do the friends; be saluting the friends by name.

¹⁴Natumaini kukuona karibuni na hapo tutazungumza ana kwa ana. (G1-15) Nakutakia amani. Rafiki zako wanakusalimu. Wasalimu rafiki zetu wote kila mmoja binafsi.