¹Mimi Mzee nakuandikia wewe Bimkubwa mteule, pamoja na watoto wako ninaowapenda kweli. Wala si mimi tu ninayewapenda, bali pia wote wanaoujua ule ukweli wanawapenda ninyi,

¹The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth;

²kwa sababu ukweli unakaa nasi milele.

²for the truth's sake which abideth in us, and it shall be with us for ever:

³Neema na huruma na amani zitokazo kwa Mungu Baba na kwa Yesu Kristo, Mwana wa Baba, zitakuwa pamoja nasi katika ukweli na upendo.

³Grace, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

⁴Nilifurahi sana kuona kwamba baadhi ya watoto wako wanaishi katika ukweli kama Baba alivyotuamuru.

⁴I rejoice greatly that I have found [certain] of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.

⁵Basi, Bimkubwa, ninalo ombi moja kwako: tupendane. Ombi hili si amri mpya, bali ni amri ileile tuliyokuwa nayo tangu mwanzo.

⁵And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

⁶Upendo maana yake ni kuishi kwa kuzitii amri zake Mungu. Amri niliyoisikia tangu mwanzo ndiyo hii: mnapaswa nyote kuishi katika upendo.

⁶And this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it.

⁷Wadanganyifu wengi wamezuka duniani, watu ambao hawakiri kwamba Yesu Kristo amekuja kwetu akawa binadamu. Mtu asemaye hivyo ni mdanganyifu na ni Adui wa Kristo.

⁷For many deceivers are gone forth into the world, [even] they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

⁸Basi, jihadharini ninyi wenyewe ili msije mkapoteza kile mlichokishugulikia, bali mpate tuzo lenu kamili.

⁸Look to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.

⁹Asiyezingatia na kudumu katika mafundisho ya Kristo, bali anayakiuka, hana Mungu. Lakini anayedumu katika mafundisho hayo anaye Baba na Mwana.

⁹Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰Basi, kama mtu akija kwenu bila kuwaleteeni mafundisho hayo, msimkaribishe nyumbani kwenu, wala msimsalimu.

¹⁰If any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into [your] house, and give him no greeting:

¹¹Maana anayemsalimu mtu huyo, anashirikiana naye katika matendo yake maovu.

¹¹for he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.

¹²Ninayo mengi ya kuwaambieni lakini sipendi kufanya hivyo kwa karatasi na wino; badala yake, natumaini kuwatembeleeni na kuzungumza nanyi ana kwa ana, ili furaha yetu ikamilike.

¹²Having many things to write unto you, I would not [write them] with paper and ink: but I hope to come unto you, and to speak face to face, that your joy may be made full.

¹³Watoto wa dada yako mteule wanakusalimu.

¹³The children of thine elect sister salute thee.