¹This letter comes from the elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth. Not just from me, but from everyone who knows the truth,[#1:1. Understood to be John.; #1:1. The “chosen lady” could refer to a church, or to a specific Christian lady. Similarly in verse 13.]

²because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

³May grace, mercy and peace continue to be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and in love.

⁴I was delighted to discover that some of your children are following the truth, just as the Father commanded us.

⁵Now I'm telling you, dear lady, not as a new instruction, but following what we've understood from the beginning, that we should love one another.

⁶This is what love is: we should follow God's commands. The command, just as you heard right from the beginning, is that you should live in love.[#1:6. Or “that you should behave this way.”]

⁷I'm telling you this because many deceivers have left and gone out into the world. They don't accept that Jesus Christ has come as a human being. Anyone like this is a deceiver and an antichrist.

⁸Be careful that you don't lose what we've worked so hard for, and that you receive all that you should.

⁹All those who become extremists and don't continue to follow the teaching of Christ don't have God with them. Those who continue to follow the teaching of Christ have both the Father and the Son with them.[#1:9. Literally, “who go too far.”]

¹⁰If people come to you and don't show evidence of Christ's teaching, don't take them in, don't welcome them—

¹¹for if you encourage them you share in their evil work.

¹²I have so many things to tell you that I won't write any more with paper and ink, for I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face. How happy that would make us!

¹³Greetings to you from the children of your chosen sister.