3 John · Bible in Basic English
3 John 1 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
BBE Bible in Basic English
WEB World English Bible (Classic, with Deuterocanon)
PT1904 Patriarchal Text 1904 (accented, eBible edition)
1 I, a ruler in the church, send word to the well loved Gaius, for whom I have true love.
1 The elder to Gaius the beloved, whom I love in truth.
1 Ὁ πρεσβύτερος Γαΐῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.
2 My loved one, it is my prayer that you may do well in all things, and be healthy in body, even as your soul does well.
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be healthy, even as your soul prospers.
2 Ἀγαπητέ, περὶ πάντων εὔχομαί σε εὐοδοῦσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καθὼς εὐοδοῦταί σου ἡ ψυχή.
3 For it gave me great joy when some of the brothers came and gave witness that you had the true faith and were walking in the true way.
3 For I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified about your truth, even as you walk in truth.
3 ἐχάρην γὰρ λίαν ἐρχομένων ἀδελφῶν καὶ μαρτυρούντων σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς σὺ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατεῖς.
4 I have no greater joy than to have news that my children are walking in the true way.
4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear about my children walking in truth.
4 μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαράν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα.
5 My loved one, you are doing a good work in being kind to those brothers who come from other places;
5 Beloved, you do a faithful work in whatever you accomplish for those who are brothers and strangers.
5 Ἀγαπητέ, πιστὸν ποιεῖς ὃ ἐὰν ἐργάσῃ εἰς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ εἰς τοὺς ξένους,
6 Who have given witness to the church of your love for them: and you will do well to send them on their way well cared for, as is right for servants of God:
6 They have testified about your love before the assembly. You will do well to send them forward on their journey in a way worthy of God,
6 οἳ ἐμαρτύρησάν σου τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἐνώπιον ἐκκλησίας, οὓς καλῶς ποιήσεις προπέμψας ἀξίως τοῦ Θεοῦ.
7 For they went out for love of the Name, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
7 because for the sake of the Name they went out, taking nothing from the Gentiles.
7 ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ὀνόματος ἐξῆλθον, μηδὲν λαμβάνοντες ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνικῶν.
8 So it is right for us to take in such men as guests, so that we may take our part in the work of the true faith.
8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
8 ἡμεῖς οὖν ὀφείλομεν ἀπολαμβάνειν τοὺς τοιούτους, ἵνα συνεργοὶ γινώμεθα τῇ ἀληθείᾳ.
9 I sent a letter to the church, but Diotrephes, whose desire is ever to have the first place among them, will not have us there.
9 I wrote to the assembly, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, doesn’t accept what we say.
9 Ἔγραψα τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ· ἀλλ᾽ ὁ φιλοπρωτεύων αὐτῶν Διοτρεφὴς οὐκ ἐπιδέχεται ἡμᾶς.
10 So if I come, I will keep in mind the things he does, talking against us with evil words: and as if this was not enough, he does not take the brothers into his house, and those who are ready to take them in, he keeps from doing so, putting them out of the church if they do.
10 Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words. Not content with this, he doesn’t receive the brothers himself, and those who would, he forbids and throws out of the assembly.
10 διὰ τοῦτο, ἐὰν ἔλθω, ὑπομνήσω αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα ἃ ποιεῖ, λόγοις πονηροῖς φλυαρῶν ἡμᾶς· καὶ μὴ ἀρκούμενος ἐπὶ τούτοις οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐπιδέχεται τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους κωλύει καὶ [ἐκ] τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκβάλλει.
11 My loved one, do not be copying what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God: he who does evil has not seen God.
11 Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.
11 Ἀγαπητέ, μὴ μιμοῦ τὸ κακόν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀγαθόν. ὁ ἀγαθοποιῶν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐστιν· ὁ κακοποιῶν οὐχ ἑώρακε τὸν Θεόν.
12 Demetrius has the approval of all men and of what is true: and we give the same witness, and you are certain that our witness is true.
12 Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.
12 Δημητρίῳ μεμαρτύρηται ὑπὸ πάντων καὶ ὑπ᾽ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀληθείας· καὶ ἡμεῖς δὲ μαρτυροῦμεν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ἡ μαρτυρία ἡμῶν ἀληθής ἐστι.
13 I had much to say to you, but it is not my purpose to put it all down with ink and pen:
13 I had many things to write to you, but I am unwilling to write to you with ink and pen;
13 Πολλὰ εἶχον γράφειν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐ θέλω διὰ μέλανος καὶ καλάμου σοι γράψαι·
14 But I am hoping to see you in a short time, and to have talk with you face to face. May you have peace. Your friends here send you their love. Give my love to our friends by name.
14 but I hope to see you soon. Then we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
14 ἐλπίζω δὲ εὐθέως ἰδεῖν σε, καὶ στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλήσομεν.
15 Not in this translation
15 Not in this translation
15 εἰρήνη σοι. ἀσπάζονταί σε οἱ φίλοι. ἀσπάζου τοὺς φίλους κατ᾽ ὄνομα.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Demetrius
Spoken well of by everyone and by the truth itself, commended in John's letter.
Cited in the guide: 3 John 12
Diotrephes
A man who loved to be first in the church, refused to welcome the brothers, and slandered John.
Cited in the guide: 3 John 9
Gaius
A beloved believer commended by John for walking in the truth and showing hospitality to traveling brothers.
Cited in the guide: 3 John 1
Cross references (14)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 John 3:18; Romans 16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14; Acts 19:29; 2 John 1–13
- 2 2 Peter 1:3–9; 2 Peter 3:18; Colossians 1:4–6; 1 Peter 4:8; Psalm 20:1–5
- 3 2 John 4; 1 Thessalonians 3:6–9; Psalm 119:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20; Romans 1:8–9
- 4 Galatians 4:19; Proverbs 23:24; 2 Timothy 1:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; 2 Kings 20:3
- 5 Galatians 6:10; Luke 12:42; Luke 16:10–12; Colossians 3:17; Matthew 24:45
- 6 1 Thessalonians 2:12; Acts 15:3; Titus 3:13; Philemon 5–7; Colossians 1:10
- 7 2 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Kings 5:15–16; Revelation 2:3; 1 Corinthians 9:18; 2 Corinthians 11:7–9
- 8 1 Corinthians 3:5–9; 1 Corinthians 16:10–11; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Philippians 4:3; 2 Corinthians 8:23
- 9 Titus 1:7–16; Luke 22:24–27; Matthew 23:4–8; Luke 9:48; Mark 9:34
- 10 Isaiah 66:5; Proverbs 10:10; Proverbs 10:8; Luke 6:22; 2 Corinthians 13:2
- 11 Isaiah 1:16–17; Psalm 37:27; Ephesians 5:1; 1 Peter 3:11; 1 Peter 3:13
- 12 1 Timothy 3:7; John 21:24; Acts 10:22; Acts 22:12; John 19:35
- 13 2 John 12
- 14 Genesis 43:23; Ephesians 6:23; Romans 16:1–16; Daniel 4:1; Galatians 5:16
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences