²⁵ And now, behold, ^(A)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(B)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore ^(C)I testify to you this day that ^(D)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for ^(E)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(F)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (G)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(H)the flock, in which ^(I)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(J)overseers, ^(K)to care for ^(L)the church of God,^[a] which he ^(M)obtained ^(N)with his own blood.^{[b] 29} I ^(O)know that after my departure ^(P)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(Q)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(R)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(S)be alert, remembering that ^(T)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(U)to admonish every one ^(V)with tears. ³² And now ^(W)I commend you to God and to ^(X)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(Y)build you up and to give you ^(Z)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ^33 (AA)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ^34 (AB)You yourselves know that ^(AC)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(AD)to those who were with me. ³⁵ In all things ^(AE)I have shown you that ^(AF)by working hard in this way we must ^(AG)help the weak and ^(AH)remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed ^(AI)to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, ^(AJ)he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ And ^(AK)there was much weeping on the part of all; ^(AL)they embraced Paul and ^(AM)kissed him, ³⁸ being sorrowful most of all because of ^(AN)the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And ^(AO)they accompanied him to the ship.

^12 (A)Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers ^(B)an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. ^14 (C)Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you ^(D)by prophecy when the council of elders ^(E)laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Practice these things, immerse yourself in them,^[a] so that ^(F)all may see your progress. ^16 (G)Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save ^(H)both yourself and ^(I)your hearers.

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.

³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or ^(A)whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

¹⁷ And ^(A)whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, ^(B)giving thanks to God the Father through him.