A Greeting from the Elder

¹The elder,To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth—and not I alone, but also all who know the truth—

²because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

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

Walking in the Truth

⁴I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father has commanded us.

⁵And now I urge you, dear lady—not as a new commandment to you, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.

⁶And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the very commandment you have heard from the beginning, that you must walk in love.

Beware of Deceivers

⁷For many deceivers have gone out into the world, refusing to confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.

⁸Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have worked for,but that you may be fully rewarded.

⁹Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son.

¹⁰If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him.

¹¹Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.

Conclusion

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

¹³The children of your elect sister send you greetings.

A Greeting from the Elder

¹The elder,To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth:

²Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper and enjoy good health, as your soul also prospers.

³For I was overjoyed when the brothers came and testified about your devotion to the truth, in which you continue to walk.

⁴I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Gaius Commended for Hospitality

⁵Beloved, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, and especially since they are strangers to you.

⁶They have testified to the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

⁷For they went out on behalf of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.

⁸Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers for the truth.

Diotrephes and Demetrius

⁹I have written to the church about this,but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not accept our instruction.

¹⁰So if I come, I will call attention to his malicious slander against us. And unsatisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers and forbids those who want to do so, even putting them out of the church.

¹¹Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

¹²Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

Conclusion

¹³I have many things to write to you, but I would prefer not to do so with pen and ink.

¹⁴Instead, I hope to see you soon and speak with you face to face.Peace to you.The friends here send you greetings.Greet each of our friends there by name.

Paul before the Sanhedrin

¹Paul looked directly at the Sanhedrinand said, “Brothers, I have conducted myself before God in all good conscience to this day.”

²At this, the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.

³Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit here to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck.”

⁴But those standing nearby said, “How dare you insult the high priest of God!”

⁵“Brothers,” Paul replied, “I was not aware that he was the high priest, for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”

⁶Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. It is because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”

⁷As soon as he had said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is neither a resurrection nor angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.

⁹A great clamor arose, and some scribes from the party of the Pharisees got up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

¹⁰The dispute grew so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul to pieces. He ordered the soldiers to go down and remove him by force and bring him into the barracks.

¹¹The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

The Plot to Kill Paul

¹²When daylight came, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³More than forty of them were involved in this plot.

¹⁴They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

¹⁵Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way.”

¹⁶But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the plot,he went into the barracks and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him.”

¹⁸So the centurion took him to the commander and said, “Paul the prisoner sent and asked me to bring this young man to you. He has something to tell you.”

¹⁹The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside, and asked, “What do you need to tell me?”

²⁰He answered, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul to the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of acquiring more information about him.

²¹Do not let them persuade you, because more than forty men are waiting to ambush him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him; they are ready now, awaiting your consent.”

²²So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Do not tell anyone that you have reported this to me.”

Paul Sent to Felix

²³Then he called two of his centurions and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.

²⁴Provide mounts for Paul to take him safely to Governor Felix.”

²⁵And he wrote the following letter:

²⁶Claudius Lysias,To His Excellency, Governor Felix:Greetings.

²⁷This man was seized by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I came with my troops to rescue him. For I had learned that he is a Roman citizen,

²⁸and since I wanted to understand their charges against him, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin.

²⁹I found that the accusation involved questions about their own law, but there was no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.

³⁰When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you.

³¹So the soldiers followed their orders and brought Paul by night to Antipatris.

³²The next day they returned to the barracks and let the horsemen go on with him.

³³When the horsemen arrived in Caesarea, they delivered the letter to the governor and presented Paul to him.

³⁴The governor read the letter and asked what province Paul was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,

³⁵he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers arrive.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod’s Praetorium.

Taste and See That the LORD Is Good

¹I will bless the LORD at all times;His praise will always be on my lips.

²My soul boasts in the LORD;let the oppressed hear and rejoice.

³Magnify the LORD with me;let us exalt His name together.

⁴I sought the LORD, and He answered me;He delivered me from all my fears.

⁵Those who look to Him are radiant with joy;their faces shall never be ashamed.

⁶This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him;He saved him from all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,and he delivers them.

⁸Taste and see that the LORD is good;blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

⁹Fear the LORD, you His saints,for those who fear Him lack nothing.

¹⁰Young lions go lacking and hungry,but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

¹¹Come, children, listen to me;I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹²Who is the man who delights in life,who desires to see good days?

¹³Keep your tongue from eviland your lips from deceitful speech.

¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good;seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous,and His ears are inclined to their cry.

¹⁶But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,to wipe out all memory of them from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears;He delivers them from all their troubles.

¹⁸The LORD is near to the brokenhearted;He saves the contrite in spirit.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous,but the LORD delivers him from them all.

²⁰He protects all his bones;not one of them will be broken.

²¹Evil will slay the wicked,and the haters of the righteous will be condemned.

²²The LORD redeems His servants,and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.