Beginning

¹ ¶ The elder unto the chosen lady and her sons, whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also all those that have known the truth,

² for the truth’s sake, which abides in us and shall be with us for ever.

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

⁴ I have rejoiced greatly, for I have found of thy sons that they walk in the truth, as we have received the commandment from the Father.

⁵ ¶ And now I beseech thee, lady, (not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning) that we love one another.

⁶ And this is charity, that we walk after his commandment. And this is the commandment, That ye walk in him, as ye have heard from the beginning.

⁷ ¶ For many deceivers are entered into the world, who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in flesh. This same is a deceiver and antichrist.

⁸ Look to yourselves, that we not lose those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a fulfilled reward.

⁹ Whosoever rebels and does not abide in the doctrine of the Christ, does not have God. He that abides in the doctrine of the Christ, the same has the Father and the Son.

¹⁰ ¶ If anyone comes unto you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house neither say unto him, Welcome:

¹¹ For he that says unto him, Welcome, is partaker of his evil deeds.

¹² ¶ Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink, but I trust to come unto you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

¹³ The sons of thy chosen sister greet thee. Amen.

¹ ¶ The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Beloved, I wish that thou be prospered in all things and be sound, even as thy soul prospers.

³ ¶ For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou dost walk in the truth.

⁴ I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my sons walk in the truth.

⁵ Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatever thou doest regarding the brethren and with the strangers,

⁶ who have borne witness of thy charity before the congregation, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} whom if thou wilt help them as is convenient according to God, thou shalt do well;

⁷ because for his name’s sake, they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

⁸ We, therefore, ought to receive such, that we might be fellow workers to the truth.

⁹ ¶ I wrote unto the congregation, {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, did not receive us.

¹⁰ Therefore, if I come, I will cause his deeds to be understood, speaking against us with malicious words, and not content with this, he does not receive the brethren and forbids those that desire to receive them and casts them out of the congregation. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}

¹¹ Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God, but he that does evil has not seen God.

¹² ¶ Everyone gives testimony of Demetrius, even the truth itself; and we also bear witness, and ye have known that our witness is true.

¹³ I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee,

¹⁴ For I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

¹ ¶ Jude, slave of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those that are called, sanctified in God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:

² Mercy and peace and charity be multiplied unto you.

³ ¶ Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and exhort you that ye should earnestly persevere in the faith which was given once unto the saints.

⁴ For there are certain men crept in unawares without fear or reverence of God, who from beforehand have been ordained unto this condemnation, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness and denying God who alone has dominion, and our Lord Jesus, the Christ.

⁵ I will, therefore, remind you, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those that did not believe.

⁶ And the angels who did not keep their first estate but left their own habitation, he has reserved in eternal chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrha and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange flesh, were set forth for an example, having received the judgment of eternal fire.

⁸ ¶ In the same manner these deceived dreamers, defile their flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of higher powers.

⁹ Yet when Michael, the archangel, contended with the devil, disputing over the body of Moses, he dared not bring against him a curse of judgment, but said, The Lord reprehend thee.

¹⁰ But these speak evil of those things which they do not know; but what they know by nature as animals without reason, in those things they corrupt themselves.

¹¹ Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

¹² These are spots in your banquets of charity, feeding themselves without any fear whatsoever: clouds without water, carried to and fro of the winds; trees withered as in fall, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

¹³ raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own abominations; erratic stars, to whom is reserved gross darkness eternally.

¹⁴ And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints

¹⁵ ¶ to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have unfaithfully committed and of all the hard words which the unfaithful sinners have spoken against him.

¹⁶ These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own desires; and their mouth speaks arrogant things, admiring persons to take advantage.

¹⁷ But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁸ how that they told you, That in the last time there would be mockers, who would walk after their own ungodly desires.

¹⁹ These are those who make divisions, and are as animals, not having the Spirit.

²⁰ But ye, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life,

²² And receive some with mercy, discerning;

²³ And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

²⁴ Now unto him that is powerful to keep you without sin and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

²⁵ to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, now and in all the ages. Amen.