3 John, 1

1. From the Elder: greetings to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in truth.

1. The elder to the beloved Ga'ius, whom I love in the truth.

2. My dear friend, I hope everything is going happily with you and that you are as well physically as you are spiritually.

2. Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in health; I know that it is well with your soul.

3. It was a great joy to me when some brothers came and told of your faithfulness to the truth, and of your life in the truth.

3. For I greatly rejoiced when some of the brethren arrived and testified to the truth of your life, as indeed you do follow the truth.

4. It is always my greatest joy to hear that my children are living according to the truth.

4. No greater joy can I have than this, to hear that my children follow the truth.

5. My dear friend, you have done loyal work in helping these brothers, even though they were strangers to you.

5. Beloved, it is a loyal thing you do when you render any service to the brethren, especially to strangers,

6. They are a proof to the whole Church of your love and it would be a kindness if you could help them on their journey as God would approve.

6. who have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey as befits God's service.

7. It was entirely for the sake of the name that they set out, without depending on the non-believers for anything:

7. For they have set out for his sake and have accepted nothing from the heathen.

8. it is our duty to welcome people of this sort and contribute our share to their work for the truth.

8. So we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers in the truth.

9. I have written a note for the members of the church, but Diotrephes, who enjoys being in charge of it, refuses to accept us.

9. I have written something to the church; but Diot'rephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge my authority.

10. So if I come, I shall tell everyone how he has behaved, and about the wicked accusations he has been circulating against us. As if that were not enough, he not only refuses to welcome our brothers, but prevents from doing so other people who would have liked to, and expels them from the church.

10. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, prating against me with evil words. And not content with that, he refuses himself to welcome the brethren, and also stops those who want to welcome them and puts them out of the church.

11. My dear friend, never follow a bad example, but keep following the good one; whoever does what is right is from God, but no one who does what is wrong has ever seen God.

11. Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God.

12. Demetrius has been approved by everyone, and indeed by Truth itself. We too will vouch for him and you know that our testimony is true.

12. Deme'trius has testimony from every one, and from the truth itself; I testify to him too, and you know my testimony is true.

13. There were several things I had to tell you but I would rather not trust them to pen and ink.

13. I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink;

14. However, I hope to see you soon and talk to you in person.

14. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.

15. Peace be with you; greetings from your friends; greet each of our friends by name.

15. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, every one of them.