3 John 1
1 The Elder vnto the beloued Gaius, whom I loue in the trueth.
The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.
2 Beloued, I wish chiefly that thou prosperedst and faredst well as thy soule prospereth.
My dear friend, I pray that you may in all respects prosper and enjoy good health, just as your soul already prospers.
3 For I reioyced greatly when the brethren came, and testified of the trueth that is in thee, how thou walkest in the trueth.
For it is an intense joy to me when brethren come and bear witness to your fidelity to the truth--that you live in obedience to the truth.
4 I haue no greater ioy then these, that is, to heare that my sonnes walke in veritie.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.
5 Beloued, thou doest faithfully, whatsoeuer thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers,
My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.
6 Which bare witnesse of thy loue before the Churches. Whom if thou bringest on their iourney as it beseemeth according to God, thou shalt doe well,
They have testified, in the presence of the Church, to your love; and you will do well to help them on their journey in a manner worthy of your fellowship with God.
7 Because that for his Names sake they went forth, and tooke nothing of the Gentiles.
For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8 We therefore ought to receiue such, that we might be helpers to the trueth.
It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, so that we may be fellow workers in promoting the truth.
9 I wrote vnto the Church: but Diotrephes which loueth to haue the preeminence among them, receiueth vs not.
I wrote to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, refuses to listen to us.
10 Wherefore if I come, I will call to your remembrance his deedes which he doeth, pratling against vs with malicious wordes, and not therewith content, neither he himselfe receiueth the brethren, but forbiddeth them that woulde, and thrusteth them out of the Church.
For this reason, if I come, I shall not forget his conduct, nor his idle and mischievous talk against us. And he does not stop there: he not only will not receive the brethren, but those who desire to do this he hinders, and excludes them from the Church.
11 Beloued, follow not that which is euill, but that which is good: he that doeth well, is of God: but he that doeth euill, hath not seene God.
My dear friend, do not follow wrong examples, but right ones. He who habitually does what is right is a child of God: he who habitually does what is wrong has not seen God.
12 Demetrius hath good report of al men, and of the trueth it selfe: yea, and wee our selues beare recorde, and ye know that our record is true.
The character of Demetrius has the approval of all men, and of the truth itself. We also express our approval of it, and you know that we only give our approval to that which is true.
13 I haue many things to write: but I will not with yncke and pen write vnto thee:
I have a great deal to say to you, but I do not wish to go on writing it with ink and pen.
14 For I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speake mouth to mouth. Peace be with thee. The friends salute thee. Greete the friends by name.
But I hope to see you very soon, and then we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends send greetings to you. Greet our friends individually.
