¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, ^(A)tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, ^(B)let him be to you as ^(C)a Gentile and ^(D)a tax collector.

Warning Against Idleness

⁶ Now we command you, brothers, ^(A)in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ^(B)that you keep away from any ^(C)brother ^(D)who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

¹⁴ If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and ^(A)have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. ^15 (B)Do not regard him as an enemy, but ^(C)warn him as a brother.

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter ^(A)not to associate with sexually immoral people— ^10 (B)not at all meaning ^(C)the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, ^(D)since then you would need to go out of the world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone ^(E)who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. ¹² For what have I to do with judging ^(F)outsiders? ^(G)Is it not those inside the church^[a] whom you are to judge? ¹³ God judges^[b] those outside. ^(H)“Purge the evil person from among you.”

Lawsuits Against Believers

6 When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous ^(I)instead of the saints? ² Or do you not know that ^(J)the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! ⁴ So if you have such cases, ^(K)why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? ^5 (L)I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, ⁶ but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? ⁷ To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. ^(M)Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded?

³ For though ^(A)absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. ⁴ When you are assembled ^(B)in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, ⁵ you are ^(C)to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so ^(D)that his spirit may be saved ^(E)in the day of the Lord.^[a]

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 (A)Take no part in the ^(B)unfruitful ^(C)works of darkness, but instead ^(D)expose them. ¹² For ^(E)it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹⁷ I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles ^(A)contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; ^(B)avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but ^(C)their own appetites,^[a] and ^(D)by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

¹² and you shall know that I am the Lord. For you have not walked in my statutes, nor obeyed my rules, ^(A)but have acted according to the rules of the nations that are around you.”