3 John 1
1 The Elder to his dear friend Gaius. Truly I love you.
To his dear friend Gaius, whom he sincerely loves, From the Officer of the Church.
2 My dear friend, I pray that you may in all respects prosper and enjoy good health, just as your soul already prospers.
Dear friend, I pray that all may be well with you and that you may have good health — I know that all is well with your soul.
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 it was a great joy to me, when some Brothers came and testified to your fidelity to the Truth — I know that your own life is guided by the Truth.
4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living in obedience to the truth.
Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to hear from time to time that the lives of my Children are guided by the Truth.
5 My dear friend, you are acting faithfully in all your behaviour towards the brethren, even when they are strangers to you.
Dear friend, whatever you do for our Brothers is done in a Christian spirit — even when they 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 themselves have testified before the Church to your love; and you will do well to help them on their way in a manner worthy of the service of God.
7 For it is for Christ that they have gone forth, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
For it was on behalf of the Name that they left their homes, and refused to take anything 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.
We, therefore, ought to give such people a hearty welcome, and so take our share in their work 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 a few lines to the Church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, declines to recognise 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.
Therefore, when I come, I shall not forget his conduct in ridiculing us with his wicked tongue. Not content with that, he not only declines to recognise our Brothers himself, but actually prevents those who would, and expels 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.
Dear friend, take what is good for your example, not what is bad. The man who does what is good is from God; the man who does what is bad has never 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.
Every one has always had a good word for Demetrius, and the Truth itself speaks for him. Yes, and we also add our good word, and you know that what we say about him 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 a great deal to say to you, but I do not care to trust it to pen and ink in a letter.
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, it will not be long before I see you, and then we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends here send you their greetings. Greet each one of our friends.
