3 John
English Standard Version
Greeting
1 (A)The elder to the beloved Gaius, (B)whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For (C)I rejoiced greatly when the brothers[a] came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that (D)my children are walking in the truth.
Support and Opposition
5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for (E)these brothers, (F)strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner (G)worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of (H)the name, (I)accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, (J)do not imitate evil but imitate good. (K)Whoever does good is from God; (L)whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius (M)has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and (N)you know that our testimony is true.
Final Greetings
13 (O)I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, (P)each by name.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 3 John 1:3 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10
3 John
New American Standard Bible
A Good Report
1 (A)The elder to the beloved (B)Gaius, whom I (C)love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I (D)was overjoyed when (E)brothers came and testified to your truth, that is, how you (F)are walking in truth. 4 I have no greater joy than [a]this, to hear of (G)my children (H)walking in the truth.
5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the (I)brothers and sisters, and [b]especially when they are (J)strangers; 6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to [c](K)send them on their way in a manner (L)worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of (M)the Name, (N)accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to [d]support such people, so that we may [e]prove to be fellow workers [f]with the truth.
9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to (O)be first among them, does not accept [g]what we say. 10 For this reason, (P)if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with malicious words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not (Q)receive the (R)brothers either, and he forbids those who want to do so and (S)puts them out of the church.
11 Beloved, (T)do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. (U)The one who does what is good is of God; (V)the one who does what is evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius (W)has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we testify too, and (X)you know that our testimony is true.
13 (Y)I had many things to write to you, but I do not want to write to you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak [h]face to face.
15 (Z)Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends (AA)by name.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 3 John 1:4 Lit these things, that I hear
- 3 John 1:5 Lit this
- 3 John 1:6 I.e., give them whatever they might need for the journey
- 3 John 1:8 Or receive as guests
- 3 John 1:8 Or become fellow
- 3 John 1:8 Or for
- 3 John 1:9 Lit us
- 3 John 1:14 Lit mouth to mouth
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
