3 John 1

1 The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.

The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

2 My dear friend, I pray that you may in all respects prosper and enjoy good health, just as your soul already prospers.

Beloved, I pray that in all respects yoʋ may prosper and be in good health, even as yoʋr soul prospers.

3 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.

For I was overjoyed when the brothers came and testified about yoʋr faithfulness to the truth and how yoʋ walk in the truth.

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.

Beloved, yoʋ are acting faithfully in whatever yoʋ do for the brothers and for those who are strangers to you.

6 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.

They have testified of yoʋr love before the church, and yoʋ will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

7 For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

For they went out for the sake of the Name, receiving nothing from the Gentiles.

8 It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, so that we may be fellow workers in promoting the truth.

Therefore we ought to receive men like them, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

9 I wrote to the Church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the first place among them, refuses to listen to us.

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to put himself first, does not acknowledge us.

10 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.

So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing and the evil accusations of nonsense that he is making against us. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to receive the brothers, but also stops those who want to do so and throws them out of the church.

11 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.

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. Whoever does good is of God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

12 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.

Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I have a great deal to say to you, but I do not wish to go on writing it with ink and pen.

I have much to write, but I do not want to write to yoʋ with pen and ink.

14 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.

I hope to see yoʋ soon, and we will speak face to face. Peace be with yoʋ. The friends greet yoʋ. Greet the friends by name.