Greeting
1 aThe elder to the beloved Gaius, bwhom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For cI rejoiced greatly when the brothers1 came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that dmy children are walking in the truth.
Support and Opposition
5 Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for ethese brothers, fstrangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner gworthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of hthe name, iaccepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
9 I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So 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.
11 Beloved, jdo not imitate evil but imitate good. kWhoever does good is from God; lwhoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius mhas received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and nyou know that our testimony is true.
Final Greetings
13 oI had much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink. 14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.
15 Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends, peach by name.
1 Be not uenvious of evil men,
nor desire to be vwith them,
2 for their hearts wdevise violence,
and their lips xtalk of trouble.
3 By ywisdom a house is built,
and by understanding it is established;
4 by knowledge the rooms are filled
with all zprecious and pleasant riches.
5 aA wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
6 for by bwise guidance you can wage your war,
and in cabundance of counselors there is victory.
7 Wisdom is dtoo high for a fool;
in ethe gate he does not open his mouth.
8 Whoever fplans to do evil
will be called a schemer.
9 gThe devising1 of folly is sin,
and hthe scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
10 If you ifaint in the day of adversity,
your strength is small.
11 jRescue those who are being taken away to death;
hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
kdoes not he who lweighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who mkeeps watch over your soul know it,
and will he not repay man naccording to his work?
13 My son, oeat honey, for it is good,
and pthe drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
14 Know that wisdom is such to your soul;
if you find it, there will be qa future,
and your hope will not be cut off.
15 rLie not in wait as a wicked man against the dwelling of the righteous;
do no violence to his home;
16 sfor the righteous falls tseven times and rises again,
but uthe wicked stumble in times of calamity.
17 vDo not rejoice when your enemy falls,
and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
18 lest the Lord see it and be displeased,
and turn away his anger from him.
19 wFret not yourself because of evildoers,
and be not xenvious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no qfuture;
ythe lamp of the wicked will be put out.
21 My son, zfear the Lord and the king,
and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?
More Sayings of the Wise
23 These also are sayings of athe wise.
bPartiality in judging is not good.
24 Whoever csays to the wicked, “You are in the right,”
dwill be cursed by peoples, abhorred by nations,
25 but those who rebuke the wicked will have delight,
and a good blessing will come upon them.
26 Whoever gives an honest answer
kisses the lips.
27 ePrepare your work outside;
get everything ready for yourself in the field,
and after that build your house.
28 fBe not a witness against your neighbor without cause,
and do not deceive with your lips.
29 Do not say, g“I will do to him as he has done to me;
I will pay the man back for what he has done.”
30 hI passed by the field of a sluggard,
by the vineyard of a man ilacking sense,
31 and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;
the ground was covered with nettles,
and its stone jwall was broken down.
32 Then I saw and kconsidered it;
I looked and received instruction.
33 lA little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
34 and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.