| 1 הַזָּקֵן אֶל־הַגְּבִירָה הַבְּחִירָה וְאֶל־בָּנֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי אֹהֵב אֹתָם בֶּאֱמֶת וְלֹא־אֲנִי לְבַדִּי כִּי אִם־גַּם כָּל־יֹדְעֵי הָאֱמֶת | 1 The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, |
| 2 לְמַעַן הָאֱמֶת הָעֹמֶדֶת בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ וְגַם־תִּהְיֶה עִמָּנוּ לְעוֹלָם | 2 because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us for ever: |
| 3 יְהִי עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים וְשָׁלוֹם מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים אָבִינוּ וּמֵאֵת אֲדֹנֵינוּ יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בֶּן־הָאָב בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְאַהֲבָה | 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love. |
| 4 שָׂמַחְתִּי לִמְאֹד כִּי־מָצָאתִי מִבָּנַיִךְ מִתְהַלְּכִים בָּאֱמֶת כַּמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר קִבַּלְנוּ מֵאֵת הָאָב | 4 I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children following the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. |
| 5 וְעַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ אֲנִי מִמֵּךְ הַגְּבִירָה וְלֹא כְּכֹתֵב אֵלַיִךְ מִצְוָה חֲדָשָׁה כִּי אִם־אֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיְתָה־לָּנוּ מֵרֹאשׁ לְאַהֲבָה אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ | 5 And now I beg you, lady, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. |
| 6 וְזֹאת הִיא הָאַהֲבָה אֲשֶׁר נִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּמִצְוֺתָיו זֹאת הִיא הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר שְׁמַעְתֶּם מֵרֹאשׁ לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּהּ | 6 And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love. |
| 7 כִּי מַתְעִים רַבִּים בָּאוּ לָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר אֵינָם מוֹדִים בְּיֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ כִּי־בָא בַבָּשָׂר זֶה הוּא הַמַּתְעֶה וְצַר הַמָּשִׁיחַ | 7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. |
| 8 הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם פֶּן־תֹּאבַד מִמֶּנּוּ פְּעֻלָּתֵנוּ כִּי אִם־נִקַּח מְלֹא שְׂכָרֵנוּ | 8 Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for, but may win a full reward. |
| 9 כָּל־הָעֹבֵר עַל־תּוֹרַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וְאֵינֶנּוּ עֹמֵד בָּהּ אֵין לוֹ אֱלֹהִים וְהָעֹמֵד בְּתוֹרַת הַמָּשִׁיחַ יֶשׁ־לוֹ גַם־הָאָב גַּם־הַבֵּן | 9 Any one who goes ahead and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the doctrine has both the Father and the Son. |
| 10 כָּל־הַבָּא אֲלֵיכֶם וְלֹא יָבִיא אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת לֹא־תַאַסְפוּ אֹתוֹ הַבַּיְתָה וְלֹא תִשְׁאֲלוּ־לוֹ לְשָׁלוֹם | 10 If any one comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into the house or give him any greeting; |
| 11 כִּי הַשֹּׁאֵל בִּשְׁלוֹמוֹ הוּא מִשְׁתַּתֵּף בְּמַעֲשָׂיו הָרָעִים | 11 for he who greets him shares his wicked work. |
| 12 הַרְבֵּה־לִי לִכְתֹּב אֲלֵיכֶם וְלֹא חָפַצְתִּי בִּנְיָר וּבִדְיוֹ כִּי אֲקַוֶּה לָבוֹא אֲלֵיכֶם וּלְדַבֵּר פֶּה אֶל־פֶּה לְמַעַן תִּהְיֶה שִׂמְחָתֵנוּ שְׁלֵמָה | 12 Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink, but I hope to come to see you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. |
| 13 בְּנֵי אֲחוֹתֵךְ הַבְּחִירָה שֹׁאֲלִים לִשְׁלוֹמֵךְ אָמֵן | 13 The children of your elect sister greet you. |
