EYESITHATHU EKAJOHANE
1 Mina engimdala* ngibhalela uGayu othandekayo, engimthanda okweqiniso.
2 Mngane wami othandekayo, ngithandazela ukuthi konke kuqhubeke kukuhambela kuhle lokuthi ube lempilo enhle njengoba lakhathesi izinto zikuhambela kuhle.* 3 Ngathokoza kakhulu lapho abafowethu befika befakaza ukuthi ulalo iqiniso, njengoba uqhubeka uhamba eqinisweni.+ 4 Akulanto engithokozisa* ukwedlula ukuzwa ukuthi abantwabami baqhubeka behamba eqinisweni.+
5 Mngane wami othandekayo, utshengisa ukuthi uthembekile ngalokho okwenzela abafowethu lanxa ungabazi.+ 6 Bakufakazele phambi kwebandla ukuthi ungumuntu olothando. Nxa sebesuka ngicela ubancedise ngendlela ezathokozisa uNkulunkulu.+ 7 Phela basuka bayatshumayela ngenxa yebizo lakhe futhi abathathanga lutho+ ebantwini bezinye izizwe. 8 Ngakho silomlandu wokubamukela ngazo zombili abantu abanjalo+ ukuze sisebenze ndawonye eqinisweni.+
9 Kulencwadi engayibhalela ibandla kodwa uDiyotrefe othanda ukuzenza omkhulu ebandleni+ kamukeli ngenhlonipho loba yini evela kithi.+ 10 Yikho ngizafika ngiyichaye egcekeni imisebenzi yakhe ayenzayo, njengoba ehamba efafaza amazwi okusinyundela.*+ Akwenzayo akumsuthisi, wala lokwamukela abafowethu+ ngenhlonipho njalo uzama ukuvimbela labo abafuna ukubamukela, aze azame lokubaxotsha ebandleni.
11 Mngane wami othandekayo, ungalingiseli okubi kodwa lingisela okuhle.+ Owenza okuhle uvela kuNkulunkulu+ kodwa lowo owenza okubi kakamboni uNkulunkulu.+ 12 Bonke bakhuluma kuhle ngoDimetriyu njalo iqiniso liyavumelana labakutshoyo. Lathi siyamfakazela sibili futhi lawe uyakwazi ukuthi ubufakazi bethu buliqiniso.
13 Lanxa kulezinto ezinengi ebengifuna ukukutshela zona, angifuni ukuqhubeka ngisebenzisa ipheni le-inki. 14 Kodwa ngilethemba lokuthi ngizakubona masinyane sikhulume sikhangelene.
Kwangathi ungaba lokuthula.
Abangane* abangapha bayakubingelela. Bingelela abangane* khonangapho ngamabizo abo.
Kumbe, “engingumdala.”
Kumbe, “kuwuhambela kuhle umphefumulo wakho.”
Ezinye inguqulo zithi, “engenza ngibonge.”
Kumbe, “ekhuluma amagama amabi ngathi.”
Kumbe, “Abazalwane.”
Kumbe, “abazalwane.”