3 John, 1

1. The Presbyter to the beloved Gaius whom I love in truth.

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

2. Beloved, I hope you are prospering in every respect and are in good health, just as your soul is prospering.

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

3. I rejoiced greatly when some of the brothers came and testified to how truly you walk in the truth.

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.

4. Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

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

5. Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers, especially for strangers;

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

6. they have testified to your love before the church. Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.

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.

7. For they have set out for the sake of the Name and are accepting nothing from the pagans.

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

8. Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth.

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

9. I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to dominate, does not acknowledge us.

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.

10. Therefore, if I come, I will draw attention to what he is doing, spreading evil nonsense about us. And not content with that, he will not receive the brothers, hindering those who wish to do so and expelling them from the church.

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.

11. Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does what is good is of God; whoever does what is evil has never seen God.

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.

12. Demetrius receives a good report from all, even from the truth itself. We give our testimonial as well, and you know our testimony is true.

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.

13. I have much to write to you, but I do not wish to write with pen and ink.

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

14. Instead, I hope to see you soon, when we can talk face to face.

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

15. Peace be with you. The friends greet you; greet the friends there each by name.

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