3 John

Williams^{(i) 1} The Elder to the dearly beloved Gaius, whom I truly love. ² Dearly beloved, I am praying for you to continue to prosper in everything, and to keep well, just as your soul is prospering. ³ For I am happy to have some brothers come and testify to the truth that is in you, since you are living by the truth. ⁴ I have no greater spiritual blessing than this, to hear that my children are living by the truth. ⁵ Dearly beloved, you are acting faithfully in doing what you can for the brothers, especially as they are strangers. ⁶ They have testified before the church to your love. You will please send them off on their journey in a way befitting the service of God. ⁷ For they have started out for His name's sake and so accept nothing from the heathen, ⁸ So we ought to show hospitality to such men, to prove that we cooperate with them for the truth. ⁹ I have written briefly to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to be first among them, refuses to listen to me. ¹⁰ So, if I come, I will remind you of what he is doing, how with malicious insinuations he is talking about me. Not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers himself, he interferes with those who want to do so, and tries to put them out of the church. ¹¹ Dearly beloved, do not follow bad examples but good ones. Whoever practices doing right is God's child; whoever practices doing wrong has never seen God. ¹² Demetrius has a good testimony from everybody and from truth itself; yea, from me too, and you know that my testimony to him is true. ¹³ I have much to say to you, but I do not want to write it with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you very soon and will talk it over face to face. Goodbye. Our friends wish to be remembered to you. Remember me to our friends individually.