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.

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.