De Eltesta aun daen leefsta Gajus, daem ekj enne Woarheit leef ha.

Leefsta Frint, ekj baed daut die daut enn aulem mucht Goot gone, en daut du Jesunt best, en dautet met diene Seel uk Goot es.

Ekj freid mie seeha aus walkje Breeda kjeeme en Zeichnes jeewe fonn die en dee Woarheit dee enn die es, en daut du enn Woarheit waundle deist.

Ekj ha kjeene jratre Freid aus wan ekj hea daut miene Kjinje enne Woarheit waundle.

Leefsta Frint, du best Tru enn wautemma fa Oabeit du fa dee Breeda en Framde deist,

dee enn Leew Zeichnes jejaeft ha fere Jemeent. En du deist uk Goot wan du daen oppem Wajch halpst, soo aus Gott daut jefelt..

Dan see jinje rut omm Gott sien Nome haulwe, en neeme nusscht fonn dee Heide.

Doaromm sull wie soone oppnaeme, soo daut wie kjenne Metoabeide senne enne Woarheit.

Ekj schreef waut no dee Jemeent, oba Diotrefes dee jearen wel daut Easchte senne, nemt onns nich opp.

10 Doaromm, wan ekj kom, woa ekj siene Woakje behoole dee hee jedone haft, en dee beese Wead dee hee jaeajen onns jeraet haft. En nich daut hee doamet tofraed es, hee nemt selfst dee Breeda nich opp, en daen dee daut muchte, lat hee nich, en stat daen ut de Jemeent erut.

11 Leefsta Brooda, doo daut Schlajchtet nich metmoake, leewa daut Goodet. Waeaemma Goodet deit, es fonn Gott, en waeaemma Schlajchtet deit, haft Gott nich jeseene.

12 Aule jaewe goodet Zeichnes fonn Demeetrius, en uk dee Woarheit selfst. En wie jaewe uk Zeichnes, en du weetst daut onns Zeichness Woa es.

13 Ekj ha fael die to schriewe, oba ekj wel daut nich met Tint en Fada doone.

14 Ekj hop die em Korte to seene, en dan woa wie onns aunkjikje en toop raede.

15 Jnod met die! Jrees diene Frind. Jrees de Frind bie Nome

The elder,(A)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy when some believers(B) came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.(C) I have no greater joy than to hear that my children(D) are walking in the truth.(E)

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,[a](F) even though they are strangers to you.(G) They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way(H) in a manner that honors(I) God. It was for the sake of the Name(J) that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.(K) We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. 10 So when I come,(L) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.(M) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.(N)

11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.(O) Anyone who does what is good is from God.(P) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.(Q) 12 Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone(R)—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.(S)

13 I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.(T)

15 Peace to you.(U) The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.(V)

Footnotes

  1. 3 John 1:5 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family.