3 John

Bishops^{(i) 1} The elder vnto ye beloued Gaius, whom I loue in the trueth ² Beloued, I wishe in all thynges that thou prosperedst and faredst well, euen as thy soule prospereth ³ For I reioyced greatly, when the brethren came & testified of the trueth that is in thee, how thou walkest in ye trueth ⁴ I haue no greater ioy, the for to heare how that my sonnes walke in veritie ⁵ Beloued, thou doest faythfully whatsoeuer thou doest to the brethren, and to straungers ⁶ Which beare witnesse of thy loue before the Churche. Which brethren, yf thou bryng forwardes of their iourney after a godly sorte, thou shalt do well ⁷ Because that for his names sake they went foorth, and toke nothyng of the gentiles ⁸ We therfore ought to receaue such, that we myght be helpers to the trueth ⁹ I wrote vnto the Churche: but Diotrephes which loueth to haue the preeminence among the, receaueth vs not ¹⁰ Wherfore yf I come, I wyll declare his deedes which he doth, iestyng on vs with malicious wordes, neither is therwith content: not only he hym selfe receaueth not the brethren: but also he forbiddeth the that woulde, and thrusteth them out of the Churche ¹¹ Beloued, folow not that which is euyl, but that which is good. He that doth well, is of God: but he that doth euyll, seeth not God ¹² Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the trueth it selfe: Yea, and we our selues also beare recorde, and ye knowe that our recorde is true ¹³ I haue many thynges to write: but I wyll not with inke and penne write vnto thee ¹⁴ { I trust I shal shortly see thee, and we shall speake mouth to mouth. Peace be vnto thee. The louers salute thee. Greete the louers by name}