1 T he elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not I only, but also all they that know the truth;

The church leader writes to the chosen lady and to her children. I love you because of the truth. I am not the only one who loves you. All who know the truth love you.

2 f or the truth's sake which abideth in us, and it shall be with us for ever:

It is because the truth is in us and will be with us forever.

3 G race, mercy, peace shall be with us, from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

Loving-favor and loving-kindness and peace are ours as we live in truth and love. These come from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of the Father.

4 I rejoice greatly that I have found certain of thy children walking in truth, even as we received commandment from the Father.

I am happy to find some of your children living in the truth as the Father has said we should.

5 A nd now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote to thee a new commandment, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

And now I ask you, lady, that we have love one for the other. I am not writing to you about a new Law but an old one we have had from the beginning.

6 A nd this is love, that we should walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, even as ye heard from the beginning, that ye should walk in it.

Love means that we should live by obeying His Word. From the beginning He has said in His Word that our hearts should be full of love.

7 F or many deceivers are gone forth into the world, even they that confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.

There are many false teachers in the world. They do not say that Jesus Christ came in a human body. Such a person does not tell the truth. He is the false-christ.

8 L ook to yourselves, that ye lose not the things which we have wrought, but that ye receive a full reward.

Watch yourselves! You do not want to lose what we have worked for. You want to get what has been promised to you.

9 W hosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.

Anyone who goes too far and does not live by the teachings of Christ does not have God. If you live by what Christ taught, you have both the Father and the Son.

10 I f any one cometh unto you, and bringeth not this teaching, receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting:

If a person comes to you with some other kind of teaching, do not take him into your home. Do not even greet him.

11 f or he that giveth him greeting partaketh in his evil works.

The person who does has a share in his sins.

12 H aving many things to write unto you, I would not write them with paper and ink: but I hope to come unto you, and to speak face to face, that your joy may be made full.

I have many things to write to you. I do not want to write them in this letter. But I hope to come to you soon. Then we can talk about these things together that your joy may be full.

13 T he children of thine elect sister salute thee.

The children of your chosen sister greet you.