Beginning

¹ The elder man, to the chosen lady [The elder man to the lady Electa], and to her children, which I love in truth; and not I alone, but also all men that know truth [but and all men that knew truth];

² for the truth that dwelleth in you, and with you shall be without end. [for the truth that dwelleth in you, and with you shall be into without end].

³ Grace be with you, mercy, and peace of God the Father, and of Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and charity.

⁴ I joyed full much, for I found of thy sons going in truth, as we received commandment of the Father.

⁵ And now I pray thee, lady, not as writing a new commandment to thee, but that that we had from the beginning, that we love each other.

⁶ And this is charity, that we walk after his commandments. For this is the commandment, that as ye heard at the beginning, walk ye in him.

⁷ For many deceivers went out into the world, which acknowledge not that Jesus Christ hath come in flesh; this is a deceiver and antichrist.

⁸ See ye yourselves, lest ye lose the things that ye have wrought, [but] that ye receive full meed;

⁹ witting that each man that goeth before [witting that each man that goeth away], and dwelleth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God. He that dwelleth in the teaching [of Christ], hath both the Son and the Father.

¹⁰ If any man cometh to you, and bringeth not this teaching, do not ye receive him into your house, neither say to him, Hail.

¹¹ For he that saith to him, Hail, communeth with his evil works. Lo! I before-said to you, that ye be not confounded in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹² I have more things to write to you, and I would not by parchment and ink [I having more things to write to you, would not by parchment and ink]; for I hope that I shall come to you, and speak mouth to mouth, that our joy be full.

¹³ The sons of thy chosen sister greet thee well [The sons of thy sister Electa greet thee well]. The grace of God be with thee. Amen.

¹ The elder man to Gaius, most dear brother [most dear], whom I love in truth.

² Most dear brother, of all things I make prayer, that thou enter, and fare wellfully, as thy soul doeth wellfully.^[a]

³ I joyed [full] greatly, for brethren came, and bare witnessing to thy truth, as thou walkest in truth.

⁴ I have not more grace of these things, than that I hear that my sons walk in truth.

⁵ Most dear brother, thou doest faithfully, whatever thou workest in brethren [Most dear, thou doest faithfully, whatever thou workest into brethren], and that into pilgrims,

⁶ which yielded witnessing to thy charity, in the sight of the church; which thou leadest forth [whom thou leadest forth], and doest well-worthily to God.

⁷ For they went forth for his name, and took nothing of heathen men. [Soothly for his name they went forth, nothing taking of heathen men.]

⁸ Therefore we owe to receive such, that we be even-workers of truth.

⁹ I had written peradventure to the church, but this Diotrephes, that loveth to bear primacy in them [that loveth for to bear primacy, or chief places, in them], receiveth not us.

¹⁰ For this thing, if I shall come, I shall admonish his works, which he doeth, chiding against us with evil words^[b]. And as if these things suffice not to him, neither he receiveth brethren, and forbiddeth them that receive, and putteth out of the church [and casteth out of the church].

¹¹ Most dear brother [Most dear], do not thou follow evil thing, but that that is good thing. He that doeth well, is of God; he that doeth evil, seeth not God.

¹² Witnessing is yielded to Demetrius of all men, and of truth itself; but also we bear witnessing, and thou knowest, that our witnessing is true.

¹³ I had many things to write to thee, but I would not write to thee by ink and pen.

¹⁴ For I hope soon to see thee, and we shall speak mouth to mouth. Peace be to thee. Friends greet thee well. Greet thou well friends by name.

¹ Judas, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to these that be loved, that be in God the Father, and to them that be called and kept of Jesus Christ [and of Jesus Christ kept and called],

² mercy, and peace, and charity be filled to you. [mercy to you, and peace, and charity be full-filled.]

³ Most dear brethren [Most dear], I doing all busyness to write to you of your common health, had need to write to you, and pray to strive strongly for the faith that is once taken to saints [for the faith once betaken to saints].

⁴ For some unfaithful men privily entered, that sometime were before-written into this doom, and overturn the grace of our God into lechery, and deny him that is only a Lord, our Lord Jesus Christ. [Forsooth some men privily entered, that sometime were before-written into this doom, unpious men, overturning the grace of our God into lechery, and denying the alone lordshipper and our Lord Jesus Christ.]

⁵ But I will admonish you once, that know all things, that Jesus saved his people from the land of Egypt, and the second time destroyed them that believed not. [Forsooth I will together admonish you, witting once all things, for Jesus saving his people of the land of Egypt, the second time lost them that believed not.]

⁶ And he reserved under darkness angels, that kept not their princehood, but forsook their house, into the doom of the great God, into everlasting bonds. [Soothly angels that kept not his princehood, but forsook his house, he reserved into the doom of great God, in everlasting bonds under darkness.]

⁷ As Sodom, and Gomorrha, and the nigh coasted cities, that in like manner did fornication, and went away after other flesh, and be made ensample, suffering pain of everlasting fire.^[a]

⁸ In like manner also these that defoul the flesh, and despise lordship, and blaspheme majesty.

⁹ When Michael, archangel, disputed with the devil, and strove of Moses' body [When Michael, the archangel, disputing with the devil, strove of Moses' body], he was not hardy to bring in doom of blasphemy, but said, The Lord command to thee.

¹⁰ But these men blaspheme [Forsooth these blaspheme], whatever things they know not. For whatever things they know naturally as dumb beasts [Forsooth whatever things they know by kind as dumb beasts], in these they be corrupt.

¹¹ Woe to them that went the way of Cain, and that be shed out by error of Balaam for meed, and perished in the gainsaying of Core [and perished in the again-saying of Core].

¹² These be in their meats, feasting together to filth [These be in their meats filths, or defoulings, feasting together], without dread feeding themselves. These be clouds without water, that be borne about of winds; harvest trees without fruit, twice dead, drawn up by the root;

¹³ waves of the mad sea, foaming out their confusions; erring stars, to which the tempest of darknesses is kept without end. [waves of the wild, or mad, sea, frothing out their confusions; erring stars, to whom the tempest of darknesses is kept into without end.]

¹⁴ But Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, and said [saying], Lo! the Lord cometh with his holy thousands,

¹⁵ to do doom against all men, and to reprove all unfaithful men of all the works of the wickedness of them, by which they did wickedly, and of all the hard words, that wicked sinners have spoken against God.^[b]

¹⁶ These be grumblers full of plaints [These be grutchers plaining, or full of plaints], wandering after their desires; and the mouth of them speaketh pride, worshipping persons, because of winning [by cause of winning].

¹⁷ And ye, most dear brethren, be mindful of the words [Forsooth, ye most dear, be ye mindful of the words], which be before-said of [the] apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

¹⁸ which said to you, that in the last times there shall come beguilers [there shall come scorners], wandering after their own desires, not in piety.

¹⁹ These be, which separate themselves, beastly men, not having Spirit. [These be, the which separate themselves, beastly, not having Spirit.]

²⁰ But ye, most dear brethren, above build yourselves on your most holy faith, and pray ye in the Holy Ghost,^[c]

²¹ and keep yourselves in the love of God, and abide ye the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into life everlasting. [keep yourselves in the love of God, abiding the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into life everlasting.]

²² And reprove ye these men that be deemed,

²³ but save ye them, and take ye them from the fire. And do ye mercy to other men, in the dread of God, and hate ye also that defouled coat, which is fleshly.^[d]

²⁴ But to him that is mighty to keep you without sin, and to ordain before the sight of his glory you unwemmed in full out joy,

²⁵ in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to God alone our Saviour, by Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, and magnifying, empire, and power, before all worlds, and now, and into all worlds of worlds. Amen.