2 John
The shortest of John’s letters: the elder writes to a chosen lady and her children, rejoicing that some walk in the truth and urging that old command, that we love one another. He warns against the deceivers who do not confess Jesus Christ come in the flesh, and tells his readers not to receive them.
The Greek is the public-domain Nestle 1904 text; the English translation is my own.
Chapter 1
1
Ὁ πρεσβύτερος ἐκλεκτῇ κυρίᾳ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς, οὓς ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐγνωκότες τὴν ἀλήθειαν,
The elder, to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in truth—and not I only, but also all who have come to know the truth—
2
διὰ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τὴν μένουσαν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us for ever:
3
ἔσται μεθ’ ἡμῶν χάρις ἔλεος εἰρήνη παρὰ Θεοῦ Πατρός, καὶ παρὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Πατρός, ἐν ἀληθείᾳ καὶ ἀγάπῃ.
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
Ἐχάρην λίαν ὅτι εὕρηκα ἐκ τῶν τέκνων σου περιπατοῦντας ἐν ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς ἐντολὴν ἐλάβομεν παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός.
I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we received commandment from the Father.
5
καὶ νῦν ἐρωτῶ σε, κυρία, οὐχ ὡς ἐντολὴν γράφων σοι καινὴν, ἀλλὰ ἣν εἴχαμεν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους.
And now I ask 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
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, ἵνα περιπατῶμεν κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ· αὕτη ἡ ἐντολή ἐστιν, καθὼς ἠκούσατε ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ περιπατῆτε.
And this is love: that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it.
7
ὅτι πολλοὶ πλάνοι ἐξῆλθον εἰς τὸν κόσμον, οἱ μὴ ὁμολογοῦντες Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἐρχόμενον ἐν σαρκί· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ πλάνος καὶ ὁ ἀντίχριστος.
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist.
8
βλέπετε ἑαυτούς, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολέσητε ἃ ἠργασάμεθα, ἀλλὰ μισθὸν πλήρη ἀπολάβητε.
Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.
9
πᾶς ὁ προάγων καὶ μὴ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ Θεὸν οὐκ ἔχει· ὁ μένων ἐν τῇ διδαχῇ, οὗτος καὶ τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει.
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching, this one has both the Father and the Son.
10
εἴ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ ταύτην τὴν διδαχὴν οὐ φέρει, μὴ λαμβάνετε αὐτὸν εἰς οἰκίαν, καὶ χαίρειν αὐτῷ μὴ λέγετε·
If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him any greeting;
11
ὁ λέγων γὰρ αὐτῷ χαίρειν κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς.
for whoever greets him shares in his wicked works.
12
Πολλὰ ἔχων ὑμῖν γράφειν οὐκ ἐβουλήθην διὰ χάρτου καὶ μέλανος, ἀλλὰ ἐλπίζω γενέσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς καὶ στόμα πρὸς στόμα λαλῆσαι, ἵνα ἡ χαρὰ ἡμῶν πεπληρωμένη ᾖ.
Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not write with paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that our joy may be made full.
13
Ἀσπάζεταί σε τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἀδελφῆς σου τῆς ἐκλεκτῆς.
The children of your elect sister greet you.
A note on the text
The Greek above is the Nestle 1904 edition of the Greek New Testament — a critical text reconstructed from the earliest manuscripts, now in the public domain. The English alongside it is my own working translation, kept fairly literal so that it tracks the Greek closely; it is not one of the standard published versions.
The English here is my own translation, produced with the help of AI tools, and the Greek has been transcribed the same way; both may contain errors. It is shared in good faith for general interest and study — not as an authoritative or scholarly edition — and should be checked against a critical Greek New Testament and an established translation before you rely on any wording.