John-3

¹I, the elder, to my dear friend Gaius, whom I love sincerely.

²Dear friend, may everything go well with you and may you enjoy health of body and soul. ³I greatly rejoiced with the friends who arrived and testified to your faithfulness to the truth, namely, how you walk in the truth. ⁴Nothing gives me greater joy than to know that my children live in the truth.

⁵Beloved, you do well to care for the brothers and sisters as you do. I mean, those coming from other places. ⁶They spoke of your charity before the assembled Church. It will be well to provide them with what they need to continue their journey as if you did it for God. ⁷In reality, they have set out on the road for his name without accepting anything from the pagans. ⁸We should receive such persons, making ourselves their cooperators in the work of the truth.

⁹I have written these words to the Church. But Diotrephes, anxious to preside over it, does not acknowledge our authority. ¹⁰So, when I come, I will not cease reproaching his manner of acting since he discredited us with words of evil intent. He is not content with that; he does not receive friends, and he even restrains those who want to receive them and expels them from the Church.

¹¹Dear friend, do not imitate evil, but only the good. Whoever does good is of God. Whoever does evil does not know God. ¹²Now, about Demetrius: everyone praises him, even from the truth itself. We, too, praise him, and you know our testimony is true. ¹³I have many things to tell you, but I do not want to do it in writing. ¹⁴I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

¹⁵Peace be with you. Your friends greet you. Greet the friends for me, each one by name.