| New King James Version | International Standard Version |
| 1The Elder, To the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth, | 1From: The Elder To: The chosen lady and her children, whom I genuinely love, and not only I but also all who know the truth, |
| 2because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever: | 2that is present in us and will be with us forever. |
| 3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. | 3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus the Messiah, the Father's Son, in truth and love. |
| 4I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. | 4I was overjoyed to find some of your children living truthfully, just as the Father has commanded us. |
| 5And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. | 5Dear lady, I am now requesting of you that we all continue to love one another. It is not as though I am writing to give you a new commandment, but one that we have had from the beginning. |
| 6This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. | 6And this is what demonstrates love: that we live according to God's commandments. Just as you have heard from the beginning what he commanded, you must live by it. |
| 7For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. | 7For many deceivers have gone out into the world. They refuse to acknowledge Jesus the Messiah as having become human. Any such person is a deceiver and an antichrist. |
| 8Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. | 8See to it that you don't destroy what we have worked for, but that you receive your full reward. |
| 9Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. | 9Everyone who does not remain true to the teaching of the Messiah, but goes beyond it, does not have God. The person who remains true to the teaching of the Messiah has both the Father and the Son. |
| 10If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; | 10If anyone comes to you but does not present his teachings, do not receive him into your house or even welcome him, |
| 11for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. | 11because the one who welcomes him shares in his evil deeds. |
| 12Having many things to write to you, I did not wish to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. | 12Although I have a great deal to write to you, I would prefer not to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come to you and talk face to face, so that our joy may be complete. |
| 13The children of your elect sister greet you. Amen. | 13The children of your chosen sister greet you. Greetings from John |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. |
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