1我这做长老的写信给亲爱的该犹，你是我本着真理所爱的人。 2亲爱的弟兄，我愿你凡事顺利，身体像灵魂一样健康。
该犹的好品行
3一些弟兄来为你做见证，说你忠心地遵行真理，这使我非常欢喜。 4没有比听见自己的孩子遵行真理更使我欢喜了。
5亲爱的弟兄，你常常忠心地照顾素不相识的弟兄， 6他们把你的爱心告诉了教会。愿你照着上帝喜悦的方式继续帮助他们出行， 7因为他们为了主的名四处传道，不接受非信徒的任何帮助。 8我们理当接待这样的人，好成为他们传扬真理的同工。
丢特腓的恶行
9我曾写信给你那里的教会，但爱当头领的丢特腓不接待我们。 10因此，我若去你们那里，必揭露他的所作所为，他怎样恶言中伤我们。不仅如此，他还拒绝接待弟兄，并且禁止别人接待，甚至将接待的人赶出教会。
抑恶扬善
11亲爱的弟兄，不要效法罪恶，要效法美善。行善的人属于上帝，行恶的人不认识上帝。 12低米丢得到了众人的好评，真理也为他做见证，我们也为他做见证。你知道我们的见证是真实的。
结语
13我还有许多事要告诉你，但不想借助笔墨， 14只希望很快见到你，跟你当面畅谈。
15愿你平安！这里的朋友们都问候你，请代我一一问候你那边的朋友。
1I, the elder, am writing this letter.
I am sending it to you, my dear friend Gaius. I love you because of the truth.
2Dear friend, I know that your spiritual life is going well. I pray that you also may enjoy good health. And I pray that everything else may go well with you. 3Some believers came to me and told me that you are faithful to the truth. They told me that you continue to live by it. This news gave me great joy. 4I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living by the truth.
5Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters. You are faithful even though they are strangers to you. 6They have told the church about your love. Please help them by sending them on their way in a manner that honors God. 7They started on their journey to serve Jesus Christ. They didn’t receive any help from those who aren’t believers. 8So we should welcome people like them. We should work together with them for the truth.
9I wrote to the church. But Diotrephes will not welcome us. He loves to be the first in everything. 10So when I come, I will point out what he is doing. He is saying evil things that aren’t true about us. Even this doesn’t satisfy him. So he refuses to welcome other believers. He also keeps others from welcoming them. In fact, he throws them out of the church.
11Dear friend, don’t be like those who do evil. Be like those who do good. Anyone who does what is good belongs to God. Anyone who does what is evil hasn’t really seen or known God. 12Everyone says good things about Demetrius. He lives in keeping with the truth. We also say good things about him. And you know that what we say is true.
13I have a lot to write to you. But I don’t want to write with pen and ink. 14I hope I can see you soon. Then we can talk face to face.
15May you have peace.
The friends here send their greetings. Greet each one of the friends there.
