Chapter 1

1From the elder. Me again. To my dear friend Gaius, who I love in the truth. Another short one. Short letters are the best letters.

2Dear friend, I pray that you'll prosper in every way and be healthy, just like your soul is prospering. Prosper. Be rich. And healthy. Rich and healthy. The best combination.

3It made me very happy when some brothers came and told me how loyal you are to the truth, how you keep living by the truth.

4Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my kids are living by the truth. Nothing. Best feeling.

5Dear friend, you're loyal in what you're doing for the brothers, even though they're strangers to you. Very good host. Comp the rooms.

6They've told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a way that honors God. Send them off right. First class.

7It was for the sake of the name that they went out, taking nothing from the pagans. The name. Always the name.

8So we should support people like that, so we can work together for the truth. Support them. Donate.

9I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, won't have anything to do with us. Diotrephes. Loves to be first. Nobody's first but the boss. Nobody. He wants to be first. He'll never be first.

10So when I come, I'm going to call attention to what he's doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He even stops the people who want to, and throws them out of the church. Malicious nonsense. Fake news. I'm going to expose him. In person. In front of everybody.

11Dear friend, don't copy what's evil but what's good. Anybody who does what's good is from God. Anybody who does what's evil hasn't seen God.

12Everybody speaks well of Demetrius, and so does the truth itself. We speak well of him too, and you know our testimony is true. Demetrius. A good one. Great reviews. Five stars. Not the silversmith. A different Demetrius.

13I have a lot to write you, but I don't want to do it with pen and ink.

14I hope to see you soon, and we'll talk face to face. Peace to you. The friends here say hi. Say hi to the friends there by name. By name. Always by name. People love to hear their name. Thank you for your attention to this matter!