3 John 1

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

The elder, unto 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 pray thou mayest be prospering, and be in health, even as, thy soul, is prospering,

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, at brethren coming and bearing witness unto thy truth, —even as, thou, in truth, art walking.

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

I have no, greater, favour than these things, that I should be hearing that, my own children, in the truth, are walking.

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

Beloved! a faithful thing, art thou doing, whatsoever thou shalt accomplish for them that are brethren, and withal 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 have borne witness to thy love before the assembly: whom thou wilt do, nobly, to set forward worthily of God.

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

For, in behalf of The Name, have they gone forth, taking, nothing, from them of 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, therefore ought to be sustaining such as these, that we may become, fellowworkers, with 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 something unto the assembly; but, he who is fond of taking the first place among them—Diotrephes, doth not make us welcome.

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.

For this cause, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he is doing, —with wicked words, prating against us; and, not content with these, he neither, himself, maketh the brethren welcome, but, them who are minded [to do it], he forbiddeth, and, out of the assembly, doth cast [them].

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 imitating what is bad, but what is good. He that doeth good, is, of God: he that doeth what is bad, 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.

Unto Demetrius, hath witness been borne by all and by the truth itself; howbeit, we also, bear witness, and thou knowest that, our witness, 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, had I to write unto thee, —but I am unwilling, with ink and pen, to be writing;

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, however, straightway, to see thee, and, mouth to mouth, will we talk. Peace be unto thee. The friends salute thee. Salute the friends by name.