Print Page Options

Ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς, οὓς ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν, διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τὴν μένουσαν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ἔσται μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη παρὰ θεοῦ πατρός, καὶ [a]παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ πατρός, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ.

Ἐχάρην λίαν ὅτι εὕρηκα ἐκ τῶν τέκνων σου περιπατοῦντας ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν παρὰ τοῦ πατρός. καὶ νῦν ἐρωτῶ σε, κυρία, οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν [b]καινὴν γράφων σοι ἀλλὰ ἣν εἴχομεν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους. καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, ἵνα περιπατῶμεν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ· αὕτη [c]ἡ ἐντολή ἐστιν, καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ περιπατῆτε. ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι [d]ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος. βλέπετε ἑαυτούς, ἵνα μὴ [e]ἀπολέσητε ἃ [f]εἰργασάμεθα, ἀλλὰ μισθὸν πλήρη [g]ἀπολάβητε. πᾶς ὁ [h]προάγων καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει· ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ [i]διδαχῇ, οὗτος καὶ τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ἔχει. 10 εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει, μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν καὶ χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε· 11 [j]λέγων γὰρ αὐτῷ χαίρειν κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς.

12 Πολλὰ ἔχων ὑμῖν γράφειν οὐκ ἐβουλήθην διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος, ἀλλὰ ἐλπίζω [k]γενέσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλῆσαι, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ [l]ὑμῶν [m]πεπληρωμένη ᾖ. 13 Ἀσπάζεταί σε τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς [n]ἐκλεκτῆς.

Footnotes

  1. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:3 παρὰ WH Treg NIV ] + κυρίου RP
  2. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:5 καινὴν γράφων σοι Treg NIV ] γράφων σοι καινὴν WH RP
  3. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:6 ἡ ἐντολή ἐστιν WH Treg NIV ] ἐστιν ἡ ἐντολή RP
  4. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:7 ἐξῆλθον WH Treg NIV ] εἰσῆλθόν RP
  5. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:8 ἀπολέσητε WH Treg NIV ] ἀπολέσωμεν RP
  6. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:8 εἰργασάμεθα WH RP NA ] εἰργάσασθε Treg NIV
  7. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:8 ἀπολάβητε WH Treg NIV ] ἀπολάβωμεν RP
  8. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:9 προάγων WH Treg NIV ] παραβαίνων RP
  9. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:9 διδαχῇ WH Treg NIV ] + τοῦ Χριστοῦ RP
  10. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:11 λέγων γὰρ WH Treg NIV ] γὰρ λέγων RP
  11. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:12 γενέσθαι WH Treg NIV ] ἐλθεῖν RP
  12. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:12 ὑμῶν WH Treg ] ἡμῶν NIV RP
  13. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:12 πεπληρωμένη ᾖ WH NIV ] ᾖ πεπληρωμένη Treg RP
  14. ΙΩΑΝΝΟΥ Β΄ 1:13 ἐκλεκτῆς WH Treg NIV ] + Ἀμήν RP

The elder,(A)

To the lady chosen by God(B) and to her children, whom I love in the truth(C)—and not I only, but also all who know the truth(D) because of the truth,(E) which lives in us(F) and will be with us forever:

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ,(G) the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love.

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth,(H) just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.(I) I ask that we love one another. And this is love:(J) that we walk in obedience to his commands.(K) As you have heard from the beginning,(L) his command is that you walk in love.

I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ(M) as coming in the flesh,(N) have gone out into the world.(O) Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.(P) Watch out that you do not lose what we[a] have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.(Q) Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ(R) does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.(S) 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.(T) 11 Anyone who welcomes them shares(U) in their wicked work.

12 I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face,(V) so that our joy may be complete.(W)

13 The children of your sister, who is chosen by God,(X) send their greetings.

Footnotes

  1. 2 John 1:8 Some manuscripts you

From the Elder—

To the dear Lady and to her children,[a] whom I truly love. And I am not the only one, but all who know the truth love you, because the truth remains in us and will be with us forever.

May God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, give us grace, mercy, and peace; may they be ours in truth and love.

Truth and Love

How happy I was to find that some of your children live in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. (A)And so I ask you, dear Lady: let us all love one another. This is no new command I am writing you; it is the command which we have had from the beginning. This love I speak of means that we must live in obedience to God's commands. The command, as you have all heard from the beginning, is that you must all live in love.

Many deceivers have gone out over the world, people who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came as a human being. Such a person is a deceiver and the Enemy of Christ. Be on your guard, then, so that you will not lose what we[b] have worked for, but will receive your reward in full.

Anyone who does not stay with the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God. Whoever does stay with the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 So then, if some come to you who do not bring this teaching, do not welcome them in your homes; do not even say, “Peace be with you.” 11 For anyone who wishes them peace becomes their partner in the evil things they do.

Final Words

12 I have so much to tell you, but I would rather not do it with paper and ink; instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you personally, so that we shall be completely happy.

13 The children of your dear Sister[c] send you their greetings.

Footnotes

  1. 2 John 1:1 This probably refers to a church and its members (also in verses 4, 5).
  2. 2 John 1:8 we; some manuscripts have you.
  3. 2 John 1:13 This probably refers to the members of the church to which the writer belonged.

Greetings

This letter is from John, the elder.[a]

I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children,[b] whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth— because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

Live in the Truth

How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.

I am writing to remind you, dear friends,[c] that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came[d] in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we[e] have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 11 Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

Conclusion

12 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.

13 Greetings from the children of your sister,[f] chosen by God.

Footnotes

  1. 1a Greek From the elder.
  2. 1b Or the church God has chosen and its members.
  3. 5 Greek I urge you, lady.
  4. 7 Or will come.
  5. 8 Some manuscripts read you.
  6. 13 Or from the members of your sister church.

Salutation

The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us for ever:

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from[a] Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

Truth and Love

I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it.

Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we[b] have worked for, but may receive a full reward. Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; 11 for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.

Final Greetings

12 Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13 The children of your elect sister send you their greetings.[c]

Footnotes

  1. 2 John 1:3 Other ancient authorities add the Lord
  2. 2 John 1:8 Other ancient authorities read you
  3. 2 John 1:13 Other ancient authorities add Amen