New Living Translation NLT
English Standard Version ESV
1 This letter is from John, the elder. I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.
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The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.
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Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.
3 Some 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.
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For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth.
4 I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.
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I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
5 Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you.
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Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are,
6 They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God.
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who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.
7 For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers.
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For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
8 So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.
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Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us.
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I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority.
10 When 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.
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So 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.
11 Dear 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.
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Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.
12 Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth.
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Demetrius 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.
13 I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink.
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I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink.
14 For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face.
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I hope to see you soon, and 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.
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Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025