< 3 John 1 >
1 The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.
THE Elder, to my 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.
Our beloved; in all things, I pray for thee that thou mayest prosper and be in health, 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 greatly, when the brethren came and testified concerning thy integrity, even as thou walkest in the truth.
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.
And I have no greater joy, than to hear that my children walk 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.
Our beloved, thou doest in faith, what thou performest towards the brethren; and especially towards 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 testimony to thy charity before the whole church, to whom thou doest good, as is pleasing to God.
7 For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
For they went forth in behalf of his name, taking nothing of 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.
We therefore ought to receive such persons, that we may be aiders of 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 was desirous of writing to the church; but he who loveth to be foremost among them, Diotrephes, receiveth us not.
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.
Therefore, if he come, remember those his doings, that he treated us with malignant words; and this not sufficing him, he received not the brethren; and those who would receive them, he prohibited, and even ejected them from 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.
Our beloved, be not a follower of what is evil, but of what is good. He that doeth good, is of God; but he that doeth 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.
Of Demetrius, there is good testimony from every one, and from the church, and from the truth itself: and we also bear him testimony, and ye 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 had many things to write to thee; but I will not write them to thee with ink and pen.
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.
But I hope soon to see thee, and to converse mouth to mouth. [ (III John 1:15) Peace be with thee. The friends salute thee. Salute the friends, severally, by name. ]