[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.