⁵ Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father loves the child fathered by him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, ⁴ because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.

This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith. ⁵ Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify, ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement.

⁹ If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. ¹⁰ (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) ¹¹ And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life.

¹³ I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. ¹⁶ If anyone sees his fellow Christian committing a sin not resulting in death, he should ask, and God will grant life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death. There is a sin resulting in death. I do not say that he should ask about that. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.

¹⁸ We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him. ¹⁹ We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. ²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. ²¹ Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

¹ From the elder, to an elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth (and not I alone, but also all those who know the truth), ² because of the truth that resides in us and will be with us forever. ³ Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

⁴ I rejoiced greatly because I have found some of your children living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

⁵ But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love one another. ⁶ (Now this is love: that we walk according to his commandments.) This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning; thus you should walk in it. ⁷ For many deceivers have gone out into the world, people who do not confess Jesus as Christ coming in the flesh. This person is the deceiver and the antichrist! ⁸ Watch out, so that you do not lose the things we have worked for, but receive a full reward.

⁹ Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting ¹¹ because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.

¹² Though I have many other things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink, but I hope to come visit you and speak face to face so that our joy may be complete.

¹³ The children of your elect sister greet you.

¹ From the elder, to Gaius my dear brother, whom I love in truth. ² Dear 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. ³ For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, just as you are living according to the truth.

⁴ I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are living according to the truth.

⁵ Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers). ⁶ They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. ⁷ For they have gone forth on behalf of “The Name,” accepting nothing from the pagans. ⁸ Therefore we ought to support such people so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth.

⁹ I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us. ¹⁰ Therefore, 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! ¹¹ Dear 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.

¹² Demetrius has been testified to by all, even by the truth itself. We also testify to him, and you know that our testimony is true.

³⁸ A psalm of David, written to get God’s attention.

O Lord, do not continue to rebuke me in your anger.

Do not continue to punish me in your raging fury.

² For your arrows pierce me,

and your hand presses me down.

³ My whole body is sick because of your judgment;

I am deprived of health because of my sin.

⁴ For my sins overwhelm me;

like a heavy load, they are too much for me to bear.

⁵ My wounds are infected and starting to smell,

because of my foolish sins.

⁶ I am dazed and completely humiliated;

all day long I walk around mourning.

⁷ For I am overcome with shame,

and my whole body is sick.

⁸ I am numb with pain and severely battered;

I groan loudly because of the anxiety I feel.

⁹ O Lord, you understand my heart’s desire;

my groaning is not hidden from you.

¹⁰ My heart beats quickly;

my strength leaves me.

I can hardly see.

¹¹ Because of my condition, even my friends and acquaintances keep their distance;

my neighbors stand far away.

¹² Those who seek my life try to entrap me;

those who want to harm me speak destructive words.

All day long they say deceitful things.

¹³ But I am like a deaf man—I hear nothing;

I am like a mute who cannot speak.

¹⁴ I am like a man who cannot hear

and is incapable of arguing his defense.

¹⁵ Yet I wait for you, O Lord!

You will respond, O Lord, my God!

¹⁶ I have prayed for deliverance, because otherwise they will gloat over me;

when my foot slips they will arrogantly taunt me.

¹⁷ For I am about to stumble,

and I am in constant pain.

¹⁸ Yes, I confess my wrongdoing,

and I am concerned about my sins.

¹⁹ But those who are my enemies for no reason are numerous;

those who hate me without cause outnumber me.

²⁰ They repay me evil for the good I have done;

though I have tried to do good to them, they hurl accusations at me.

²¹ Do not abandon me, O Lord.

My God, do not remain far away from me.

²² Hurry and help me, O Lord, my deliverer.