< 3 John 1 >

1 The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.
The Elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in 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, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even as thy soul doth prosper,
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 rejoiced exceedingly, brethren coming and testifying of the truth in thee, even as thou in truth dost walk;
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.
greater than these things I have no joy, that I may hear of my children in truth walking.
5 My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.
Beloved, faithfully dost thou do whatever thou mayest work to the brethren and to the strangers,
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.
who did testify of thy love before an assembly, whom thou wilt do well, having sent forward worthily of God,
7 For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
because for [His] name they went forth, nothing receiving from the nations;
8 It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, so that we may be fellow workers in promoting the truth.
we, then, ought to receive such, that fellow-workers we may become to 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 did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them — Diotrephes — doth not receive 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.
because of this, if I may come, I will cause him to remember his works that he doth, with evil words prating against us; and not content with these, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and those intending he doth forbid, and out of the assembly he doth cast.
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, be not thou following that which is evil, but that which is good; he who is doing good, of God he is, and he who is doing evil hath 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.
to Demetrius testimony hath been given by all, and by the truth itself, and we also — we do testify, and ye have known 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.
Many things I had to write, but I do not wish through ink and pen to write to thee,
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.
and I hope straightway to see thee, and mouth to mouth we shall speak. Peace to thee! salute thee do the friends; be saluting the friends by name.

< 3 John 1 >