¹ Ndine mkulu wampingo, kulembera:

Gayo mnzanga wokondedwa, amene ndimamukonda mʼchoonadi.

² Wokondedwa, ndimakupempherera kuti zako zonse zikuyendere bwino, ndikuti ukhale bwino mʼthupi mwako, monga momwe ulili moyo wako wauzimu. ³ Ine ndinali ndi chimwemwe chachikulu pamene abale ena anafika nʼkundifotokozera za kukhulupirika kwako pa choonadi ndiponso mmene umayendera motsata choonadi. ⁴ Palibe chondikondweretsa kwambiri kuposa kumva kuti ana anga akukhala mʼchoonadi.

⁵ Wokondedwa, ndiwe wokhulupirika pa zimene ukuchitira abale, ngakhale kuti iwowo ndi alendo. ⁶ Iwo anafotokozera mpingo za chikondi chako. Chonde uwathandize kupitiriza ulendo mʼnjira yokondweretsa Mulungu. ⁷ Pakuti ananyamuka ulendo wawo chifukwa cha dzina la Ambuye, osalandira thandizo kwa osakhulupirira. ⁸ Ife tiyenera kumathandiza anthu oterewa, kuti tigwirizane nawo pa ntchito ya choonadi.

Za Diotrefe ndi Demetriyo

⁹ Ndinalembera mpingo, koma Diotrefe, amene amafuna kukhala wotsogolera, sanafune kutimvera. ¹⁰ Tsono ndikabwera ndidzakumbutsa zimene iye amachita. Iye amafalitsa nkhani zabodza zonena ife. Ndipo sakhutira ndi zimenezo, komanso iyeyo amakana kulandira abale. Komanso amaletsa amene akufuna kutero, ndipo amawachotsa mu mpingo.

¹¹ Wokondedwa, usatsatire zinthu zoyipa koma zinthu zabwino. Aliyense amene amachita zinthu zabwino ndi wochokera kwa Mulungu. Aliyense amene amachita zoyipa sanamuonepo Mulungu. ¹² Aliyense akumuchitira umboni wabwino wa Demetriyo. Ngakhale choona chomwe chimamuchitira umboni, ndipo iweyo ukudziwa kuti umboni wathu ndi woona.

¹³ Ndili ndi zambiri zoti ndikulembereni, koma sindikufuna kuzilemba mʼkalata. ¹⁴ Ndiyembekezera kufika kwanuko posachedwapa, ndipo tidzakambirana pamaso ndi pamaso.

¹⁵ Mtendere ukhale nawe. Abwenzi anu kuno akupereka moni. Upereke moni kwa abwenzi onse mmodzimmodzi.