| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. | 1This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth. |
| 2Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. | 2Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit. |
| 3For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. | 3Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. |
| 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. | 4I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth. Caring for the Lord’s Workers |
| 5Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, | 5Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. |
| 6who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. | 6They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. |
| 7For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. | 7For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers. |
| 8Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. | 8So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth. |
| 9I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. | 9I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. |
| 10So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. | 10When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church. |
| 11Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. | 11Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God. |
| 12Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. | 12Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth. Conclusion |
| 13I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. | 13I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. |
| 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. [15] Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name. | 14For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face. [15] Peace be with you. Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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