3 John 1

1 [You(sg) know me as] the [chief] Elder. [I am writing this letter to you], my dear friend Gaius, whom I truly love.

The Elder vnto the beloued Gaius, whom I loue in the trueth.

2 Dear friend, I ask [God that things may go] well for you in every way, [specifically], that you will be physically healthy just like you are spiritually healthy [MTY].

Beloued, I wish chiefly that thou prosperedst and faredst well as thy soule prospereth.

3 I am very happy because some fellow believers have come [here] and told me that you conduct your life in a manner [that is consistent with God’s] true message.

For I reioyced greatly when the brethren came, and testified of the trueth that is in thee, how thou walkest in the trueth.

4 I am very happy when I hear that (people whom I helped to believe in Christ/my [spiritual] children) are conducting their lives like you are!

I haue no greater ioy then these, that is, to heare that my sonnes walke in veritie.

5 Dear friend, you are [serving Jesus] loyally/faithfully whenever you do things to help fellow believers, [even those whom you] do not know, who are traveling [around doing God’s work].

Beloued, thou doest faithfully, whatsoeuer thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers,

6 [Some of] them have reported before the congregation [here how] you have showed that you love them. You should continue to help such people in their travels in a way that is pleasing to God.

Which bare witnesse of thy loue before the Churches. Whom if thou bringest on their iourney as it beseemeth according to God, thou shalt doe well,

7 When those fellow believers went out [to tell people about Jesus] [MTY], the people who do not believe in Christ did not give them anything [to help them].

Because that for his Names sake they went forth, and tooke nothing of the Gentiles.

8 So we [who believe in Christ] ought to give food and money to such people to help [them as they teach others God’s] true message.

We therefore ought to receiue such, that we might be helpers to the trueth.

9 I wrote [a letter] to the congregation [telling them to help those fellow believers]. However, Diotrephes does not (acknowledge my authority/[pay any attention to what] I wrote), because he (desires to be in charge/wants to be the leader) of [the congregation].

I wrote vnto the Church: but Diotrephes which loueth to haue the preeminence among them, receiueth vs not.

10 So, when I arrive [there], I will [publicly] tell what he does: He tells others evil nonsense about us [in order to] harm [us by what he] says, and he is not content with only doing that. He himself refuses to receive the fellow believers who are traveling around doing God’s work, and he also stops those who want to receive them by expelling them from the congregation.

Wherefore if I come, I will call to your remembrance his deedes which he doeth, pratling against vs with malicious wordes, and not therewith content, neither he himselfe receiueth the brethren, but forbiddeth them that woulde, and thrusteth them out of the Church.

11 Dear friend, do not imitate a bad [example like that]. Instead, [keep imitating] good [examples. Remember that] people who do good deeds ([truly] belong to God/are [spiritual children] of God), [but] those who do [what is] evil do not (know/have fellowship with) God.

Beloued, follow not that which is euill, but that which is good: he that doeth well, is of God: but he that doeth euill, hath not seene God.

12 All [the believers who know Demetrius] say that he [is a good person]. The fact [that he conducts his life in a way that is consistent/in accordance with God’s] true [message] shows [that he is a good person], and we also say the same thing [about him]. You know that what we say [about him] is true. [So it will be good if you welcome him and help him. He is the one who will be bringing this letter to you].

Demetrius hath good report of al men, and of the trueth it selfe: yea, and wee our selues beare recorde, and ye know that our record is true.

13 [When I began] to write this letter, I had much more [that I intended] to tell you. But [now] I do not want to say [it] in a letter [MTY].

I haue many things to write: but I will not with yncke and pen write vnto thee:

14 Instead, I expect to [come and] see you soon. Then we will talk directly with one another. [I pray that God will enable] you [to experience inner] peace. Our friends [here] (send you their greetings/say that they are thinking affectionately about you) [MTY]. Tell our friends [there] that we (send our greetings to/are thinking fondly about) them.

For I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speake mouth to mouth. Peace be with thee. The friends salute thee. Greete the friends by name.