Iohannis Ii 1
1 Senior Electæ dominæ, et natis ejus, quos ego diligo in veritate, et non ego solus, sed et omnes qui cognoverunt veritatem,
[You all know me as] the [chief] Elder. [I am writing this letter] to all of you [MET] in your congregation. [God has] chosen [you], and I love you truly! Not only do I myself love you, but all those who know [and accept the] true message [that Jesus taught] also love you!
All of us [believe God’s] true message. It is in our ([inner beings/hearts]) and we will continue [to believe it] forever! (aiōn g165)
3 Sit vobiscum gratia, misericordia, pax a Deo Patre, et a Christo Jesu Filio Patris in veritate, et caritate.
God the Father and Jesus Christ, who is (his Son/the man who is also God), will continue [to act] kindly and mercifully [toward us because they] love [us. They will enable us to have inner] peace, [because we believe] their true message.
4 Gavisus sum valde, quoniam inveni de filiis tuis ambulantes in veritate, sicut mandatum accepimus a Patre.
I am very happy because I learned about some of you [SYN] who are conducting your lives in a manner that is (consistent/in accordance) with [God’s] true message. You are doing that just like our Father [God] commanded us [to do].
5 Et nunc rogo te domina, non tamquam mandatum novum scribens tibi, sed quod habuimus ab initio, ut diligamus alterutrum.
And now, dear congregation [MET], [there is something that] I am requesting you [to do]. I am writing this not to command that you do something new, but [that you continue to do] what God commanded when we first began [MTY] [to believe his true message. What he commanded] is that we love each other.
6 Et hæc est caritas, ut ambulemus secundum mandata ejus. Hoc est enim mandatum, ut quemadmodum audistis ab initio, in eo ambuletis.
And [we really/truly] are loving [God] when we are conducting our lives in accordance with whatever he commands [us to do]. What he commands us to do is to continue [to love one another]. That is exactly what you heard when you first began [MTY] [to believe God’s true message].
7 Quoniam multi seductores exierunt in mundum, qui non confitentur Jesum Christum venisse in carnem: hic est seductor, et antichristus.
Many people who deceive [others have left your congregation and] have now gone out among other people who are [in your area] [MTY]. They are the ones who (do not acknowledge/refuse to say) that Jesus Christ became human. They are the very ones who deceive [people] and oppose [what we teach about] Christ.
8 Videte vosmetipsos, ne perdatis quæ operati estis: sed ut mercedem plenam accipiatis.
[So] be sure that [you do not let those teachers deceive you]! If you let them deceive you, you will lose [the reward] which we, [together with you], have been working for, and you will not receive the complete reward [of being eternally united to God]!
9 Omnis qui recedit, et non permanet in doctrina Christi, Deum non habet: qui permanet in doctrina, hic et Patrem et Filium habet.
Those who change what Christ taught and do not continue [to believe] what he taught do not have [a relationship with] God. [But] those who continue to believe [what Christ] taught have [a close relationship with] both [God, our] Father, and with (his Son/the one who is also God).
10 Si quis venit ad vos, et hanc doctrinam non affert, nolite recipere eum in domum, nec Ave ei dixeritis.
So when anyone comes to you who teaches something different from [what Christ] taught, do not welcome him into your homes! Do not [encourage him by] (wishing him well/greeting him as a fellow believer) [in any way]!
11 Qui enim dicit illi Ave, communicat operibus ejus malignis.
[I say that] because if you treat people like that as you would treat a fellow believer, [God will punish you] along with them for the evil that they do.
12 Plura habens vobis scribere, nolui per cartam et atramentum: spero enim me futurum apud vos, et os ad os loqui: ut gaudium vestrum plenum sit.
[Even though] I have much [more that I want] to tell you, I have decided not [to say it] in a letter [MTY]. Instead, I expect to be with you [soon] and talk directly with you. Then we can be completely joyful [together].
13 Salutant te filii sororis tuæ Electæ.
Your fellow believers here [MET], ones whom [God] has also chosen, (send their greetings to you/say that they are thinking affectionately about you).
