²My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health—as I know you are well in spirit. ³I was so happy when some fellow-Christians arrived and told me how faithful you are to the truth—just as you always live in the truth. ⁴Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children live in the truth.

Gaius Is Praised

⁵My dear friend, you are so faithful in the work you do for your fellow-Christians, even when they are strangers. ⁶They have spoken to the church here about your love. Please help them to continue their journey in a way that will please God. ⁷For they set out on their journey in the service of Christ without accepting any help from unbelievers. ⁸We Christians, then, must help these people, so that we may share in their work for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say. ¹⁰When I come, then, I will call attention to everything he has done: the terrible things he says about us and the lies he tells! But that is not enough for him; he will not receive our fellow-Christians when they come, and even stops those who want to receive them and tries to drive them out of the church!

¹¹My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good belongs to God; whoever does what is bad has not seen God.

¹²Everyone speaks well of Demetrius; truth itself speaks well of him. And we add our testimony, and you know that what we say is true.

Final Greetings

¹³I have so much to tell you, but I do not want to do it with pen and ink. ¹⁴I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk personally.

¹⁵Peace be with you.

All your friends send greetings. Greet all our friends personally.

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