¹ 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)—

¹⁸ Dear children,^(A) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(B)

⁴ who wants^(A) all people^(B) to be saved^(C) and to come to a knowledge of the truth.^(D)

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

⁵ And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning.^(A) I ask that we love one another.

To the Elders and the Flock

5 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder^(A) and a witness^(B) of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed:^(C)

²² Now that you have purified^(A) yourselves by obeying^(B) the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply,^(C) from the heart.^{[a] 23} For you have been born again,^(D) not of perishable seed, but of imperishable,^(E) through the living and enduring word of God.^(F)

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

¹ The elder,^(B)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy when some believers^(C) came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.^{(D) 4} I have no greater joy than to hear that my children^(E) are walking in the truth.^(F)

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,^[a](G) even though they are strangers to you.^{(H) 6} They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way^(I) in a manner that honors^(J) God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name^(K) that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.^{(L) 8} We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come,^(M) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(N) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(O)

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.^(P) Anyone who does what is good is from God.^(Q) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.^{(R) 12} Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone^(S)—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.^(T)

¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.^(U)

¹⁵ Peace to you.^(V) The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.^(W)

²⁶ If we deliberately keep on sinning^(A) after we have received the knowledge of the truth,^(B) no sacrifice for sins is left,