| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. | 1From the elder, to Gaius my dear brother, whom I love in truth. |
| 2Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. | 2Dear friend, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. |
| 3For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. | 3For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth. |
| 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. | 4I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth. |
| 5Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, | 5Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers). |
| 6who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. | 6They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. |
| 7For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. | 7For they have gone forth on behalf of "The Name," accepting nothing from the pagans. |
| 8Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth. | 8Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth. |
| 9I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. | 9I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us. |
| 10So 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. | 10Therefore, if I come, I will call attention to the deeds he is doing--the bringing of unjustified charges against us with evil words! And not being content with that, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but hinders the people who want to do so and throws them out of the church! |
| 11Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. | 11Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God. |
| 12Demetrius 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. | 12Demetrius has been testified to by all, even by the truth itself. We also testify to him, and you know that our testimony is true. |
| 13I had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. | 13I have many things to write to you, but I do not wish to write to you with pen and ink. |
| 14I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. [15] Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, each by name. | 14But I hope to see you right away, and we will speak face to face. Peace be with you. The friends here greet you. Greet the friends there by name. |
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