2 John - 3 John

New King James Version

Greeting the Elect Lady

¹The Elder,

To the ^[a]elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known ^(A)the truth, ²because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:

³^(B)Grace, mercy, and peace will be with ^[b]you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Walk in Christ’s Commandments

⁴I ^(C)rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. ⁵And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: ^(D)that we love one another. ⁶^(E)This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that ^(F)as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

Beware of Antichrist Deceivers

⁷For ^(G)many deceivers have gone out into the world ^(H)who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. ^(I)This is a deceiver and an antichrist. ⁸^(J)Look to yourselves, ^(K)that ^[c]we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

⁹^(L)Whoever ^[d]transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰If anyone comes to you and ^(M)does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; ¹¹for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

John’s Farewell Greeting

¹²^(N)Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, ^(O)that our joy may be full.

¹³^(P)The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen.

Greeting to Gaius

¹The Elder,

To the beloved Gaius, ^(Q)whom I love in truth:

²Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. ³For I ^(R)rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. ⁴I have no greater ^(S)joy than to hear that ^(T)my children walk in ^[e]truth.

Gaius Commended for Generosity

⁵Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren ^[f]and for strangers, ⁶who have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, ⁷because they went forth for His name’s sake, ^(U)taking nothing from the Gentiles. ⁸We therefore ought to ^(V)receive^[g] such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. ¹⁰Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, ^(W)prating^[h] against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

¹¹Beloved, ^(X)do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. ^(Y)He who does good is of God, ^[i]but he who does evil has not seen ^(Z)God.

¹²Demetrius ^(AA)has a good testimony from all, and from the truth itself. And we also ^[j]bear witness, ^(AB)and you know that our testimony is true.

Farewell Greeting

¹³^(AC)I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink; ¹⁴but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face.

Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.