Salutation

¹ 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,^(A)

¹⁸ Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.^(A)

⁴ who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.^(A)

³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”^(A)

⁵ 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.^(A)

Tending the Flock of God

5 Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you^(A)

²² Now that you have purified your souls^[a] by your obedience to the truth^[b] so that you have genuine mutual affection, love one another deeply from the heart.^{[c](A) 23} You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.^[d](B)

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

Salutation

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

Gaius Commended for His Hospitality

² Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. ³ For I was overjoyed when some brothers and sisters arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, how you walk in the truth.^{(A) 4} I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are walking in the truth.^(B)

⁵ Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you;^{(C) 6} they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on in a manner worthy of God,^{(D) 7} for they began their journey for the sake of Christ,^[b] accepting no support from nonbelievers.^{[c](E) 8} Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we may become coworkers with the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹ I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not welcome us. ¹⁰ So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing in spreading false charges against us. And not content with those charges, he refuses to welcome the brothers and sisters and even prevents those who want to do so and expels them from the church.^(F)

¹¹ Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.^{(G) 12} Everyone has testified favorably about Demetrius, and so has the truth^[d] itself. We also testify for him,^[e] and you know that our testimony is true.^(H)

Final Greetings

¹³ I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write to you with pen and ink;^{(I) 14} instead, I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.

¹⁵ Peace to you. The friends send you their greetings. Greet the friends there, each by name.^(J)

² because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

³ 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.^(A)