1 T he church leader writes to the much-loved Gaius. I love you because of the truth.

مِنَ الشَّيخِ، إلَى الصَّدِيقِ العَزِيزِ غايُوسَ الَّذِي أُحِبُّهُ فِي الحَقِّ.

2 D ear friend, I pray that you are doing well in every way. I pray that your body is strong and well even as your soul is.

أيُّها الحَبيبُ، أُصَلِّي أنْ تَكُونَ بِخَيرٍ وَبِصِحَّةٍ جَيِّدَةٍ، تَماماً كَما أنَّ نَفسَكَ بِخَيرٍ.

3 I was very happy when some Christians came and told me about how you are following the truth.

كَمْ سَعِدتُ حِيْنَ أتانِي بَعضُ الإخوَةِ وَشَهِدُوا لإخلاصِكَ لِلحَقِّ وَثَباتِكَ فِي السُّلُوكِ فِيهِ.

4 I can have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

لا شَيءَ يُسعِدُنِي أكثَرَ مِنْ أنْ أسمَعَ أنَّ أبنائِي يَسلُكُونَ فِي طَرِيقِ الحَقِّ.

5 D ear friend, you are doing a good work by being kind to the Christians, and for sure, to the strangers.

أيُّها الحَبيبُ، أنتَ تَعمَلُ بِإخلاصٍ عَلَى مُساعَدَةِ إخْوَتِنا، مَعَ أنَّكَ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْرِفُهُمْ مِنْ قَبلُ.

6 T hey have told the church about your love. It will be good for you to help them on their way as God would have you.

لَقَدْ شَهَدَ هَؤُلاءِ أمامَ الكَنِيسَةِ عَنِ المَحَبَّةِ الَّتِي أظهَرْتَها لَهُمْ. وَأنتَ تَفعَلُ حَسَناً إنْ ساعَدتَهُمْ بِما يُرضي اللهَ عَلَى مُواصَلَةِ رِحلَتِهِمْ،

7 T hese people are working for the Lord. They are taking nothing from the people who do not know God.

لِأنَّهُمُ انْطَلَقوا مِنْ أجلِ اسْمِ يَسُوعَ. وَهُمْ لا يَقبَلُونَ شَيئاً مِنْ غَيرِ المُؤمِنِينَ.

8 S o we should help such people. That way we will be working with them as they teach the truth.

لِذَلِكَ يَنبَغي عَلَينا أنْ نُساعِدَ مِثلَ هَؤُلاءِ، فَنَكُونَ شُرَكاءَ لَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ الحَقِّ.

9 I wrote a letter to the church. But Diotrephes wants to be the leader and put himself first. He will have nothing to do with us.

لَقَدْ وَجَّهتُ رِسالَةً إلَى الكَنِيسَةِ، لَكِنَّ دِيُوتْرِيفُسَ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ أنْ يَكُونَ قائِداً لِلْكَنيسَةِ، لَمْ يَتَقَبَّلْ ما قُلْناهُ.

10 S o if I come, I will show what he is doing by the bad things he is saying about us. Not only that, he will not take the Christian brothers into his home. He keeps others from doing it also. When they do, he puts them out of the church.

لِذا إنْ أتَيتُ أنا، سَأعمَلُ عَلَى كَشفِ أفعالِهِ. إنَّهُ يَتَّهِمُنا بِكَلِماتٍ خَبيثَةٍ. وَلا يَكتَفِي بِهَذا، بَلْ إنَّهُ لا يُرَحِّبُ بإخوَتِنا، وَيَمنَعُ مَنْ يَرغَبُ بِذَلِكَ، وَيَطرُدُهُ خارِجَ الكَنِيسَةِ.

11 D ear friend, do not follow what is sinful, but follow what is good. The person who does what is good belongs to God. The person who does what is sinful has not seen God.

أيُّها الحَبيبُ، لا تَقْتَدِ بِالشَّرِّ بَلْ بِالخَيْرِ. فَمَنْ يَفعَلُ الخَيرَ تابِعٌ للهِ، وَمَنْ يَفعَلُ الشَّرَّ لَمْ يَعرِفِ اللهَ.

12 E veryone speaks good things about Demetrius. The truth itself speaks for him. We say the same thing also and you know we are speaking the truth.

لَقَدْ شَهِدَ الجَمِيعُ لِدِيْمِترِيُوسَ. شَهِدَ لَهُ الحَقُّ نَفسُهُ، وَكَذَلِكَ نَحنُ نَشهَدُ، وَأنتَ تَعلَمُ أنَّ شَهادَتَنا صادِقَةٌ.

13 I have much to write about but I do not want to write it in this letter.

لَدَيَّ الكَثِيرُ لِأكتُبَهُ لَكَ، لَكِنِّي لا أوَدُّ أنْ أكتُبَ بِقَلَمٍ وَحِبرٍ،

14 I hope to see you soon and then we can talk together. May you have peace. The friends here greet you. Greet each friend there by name.

بَلْ أرجُو أنْ أراكَ قَرِيباً كَيْ نَتَكَلَّمَ وَجهاً لِوَجهٍ. السَّلامُ مَعكَ، يُسَلِّمُ عَلَيكَ الأحِبّاءُ. سَلِّمْ عَلَى الأحِبّاءِ، كُلِّ واحِدٍ بِاسْمِهِ.