5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the * Messiah has been born of God, z and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2 This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obey a His commands. 3 For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden, b 4 because whatever has been born of God conquers the * world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5 And who is the one who conquers the world c but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? d

The Certainty of God’s Testimony

6 Jesus Christ—He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water e and by blood. f And the Spirit is the One who testifies, g because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: h i 8 the Spirit, j the water, and the blood k—and these three are in agreement. 9 If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimony l is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, m because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 The one who has the Son has life. n The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name o of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Effective Prayer

14 Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we ask p anything according to His will, He hears us. q 15 And if we know that He hears whatever we ask, r we know that we have what we have asked Him for. s

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and God t will give life to him—to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. There is sin u that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that does not bring death.

Conclusion

18 We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the One v who is born of God keeps him, w x y and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come z and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One. a We are in the true One—that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. b He is the true God and eternal life.

21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

2 John

Greeting

The Elder: a

To the elect b lady c and her children: I love all of you in the truth—and not only I, but also all who have come to know the truth d— 2 because of the truth that remains in us e and will be with us forever.

3 Grace, mercy, and peace f will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son g of the Father, in truth and love. h

Truth and Deception

4 I was very glad to find some of your children * walking in the truth, i in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. 5 So now I urge you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another. j 6 And this is love: k that we walk according to His commands. l This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love. m

7 Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. n o This is the deceiver and the antichrist. p 8 Watch yourselves so you don’t lose what we q have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward. r 9 Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching s but goes beyond it, does not have God. t The one who remains u in that teaching, this one has both the Father v and the Son. w 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive x him into your home, and don’t say, “Welcome,” to him; 11 for the one who says, “Welcome,” to him shares y in his evil works. z

Farewell

12 Though I have many things to write to you, a I don’t want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face b so that our joy c may be complete.

13 The children of your elect sister send you greetings.

3 John

Greeting

The Elder: a

To my dear friend b Gaius: I love you in the truth. c

2 Dear friend, d I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health physically e just as you are spiritually. f 3 For I was very glad when some * brothers came and testified g to your faithfulness to the truth—how you are * walking in the truth. h 4 I have no greater joy i than this: to hear that my children j are walking in the truth.

Gaius Commended

5 Dear friend, k you are showing faithfulness l by whatever you do for the brothers, especially when they are strangers. 6 They have testified to your love in front of the church. m You will do well to send them on their journey n in a manner worthy of God, o 7 since they set out for the sake of the Name, p accepting nothing from pagans. q 8 Therefore, we ought to support such men so that we can be coworkers with r the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, s does not receive us. t 10 This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering u us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

11 Dear friend, v do not imitate what is evil, w but what is good. The one who does good is of God; x the one who does evil has not seen God. y 12 Demetrius has a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know z that our testimony is true. a

Farewell

13 I have many things to write you, but I don’t want to write to you with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. b

Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.