¹The Elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth! ²beloved, concerning all things I desire thee to prosper, and to be in health, even as thy soul doth prosper.

³For I rejoiced exceedingly, brethren coming and testifying of the truth in thee, even as thou in truth dost walk; ⁴greater than these things I have no joy, that I may hear of my children in truth walking. ⁵Beloved, faithfully dost thou do whatever thou mayest work to the brethren and to the strangers, ⁶who did testify of thy love before an assembly, whom thou wilt do well, having sent forward worthily of God, ⁷because for His name they went forth, nothing receiving from the nations; ⁸we, then, ought to receive such, that fellow-workers we may become to the truth.

⁹I did write to the assembly, but he who is loving the first place among them—Diotrephes—doth not receive us; ¹⁰because of this, if I may come, I will cause him to remember his works that he doth, with evil words prating against us; and not content with these, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and those intending he doth forbid, and out of the assembly he doth cast. ¹¹Beloved, be not thou following that which is evil, but that which is good; he who is doing good, of God he is, and he who is doing evil hath not seen God.

¹²To Demetrius testimony hath been given by all, and by the truth itself, and we also—we do testify, and ye have known that our testimony is true. ¹³Many things I had to write, but I do not wish through ink and pen to write to thee, ¹⁴and I hope straightway to see thee, and mouth to mouth we shall speak. Peace to thee! salute thee do the friends; be saluting the friends by name.

Chapter 1

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