1:1  senior electae dominae et natis         1.  The elder unto the elect lady and  
eius quos ego diligo in veritate et non      her children, whom I love in the truth;  
ego solus sed et omnes qui cognoverunt       and not I only, but also all they that  
veritatem                                    have known the truth;
                                             
1:2  propter veritatem quae permanet in      2.  For the truth's sake, which  
nobis et nobiscum erit in aeternum           dwelleth in us, and shall be with us  
                                             for ever.
                                             
1:3  sit nobiscum gratia misericordia        3.  Grace be with you, mercy, and  
pax a Deo Patre et a Christo Iesu Filio      peace, from God the Father, and from  
Patris in veritate et caritate               the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the  
                                             Father, in truth and love.
                                             
1:4  gavisus sum valde quoniam inveni        4.  I rejoiced greatly that I found of  
de filiis tuis ambulantes in veritate        thy children walking in truth, as we  
sicut mandatum accepimus a Patre             have received a commandment from the  
                                             Father.
                                             
1:5  et nunc rogo te domina non tamquam      5.  And now I beseech thee, lady, not  
mandatum novum scribens tibi sed quod        as though I wrote a new commandment  
habuimus ab initio ut diligamus              unto thee, but that which we had from  
alterutrum                                   the beginning, that we love one another.
                                             
1:6  et haec est caritas ut ambulemus        6.  And this is love, that we walk  
secundum mandata eius hoc mandatum est       after his commandments. This is the  
ut quemadmodum audistis ab initio in eo      commandment, That, as ye have heard  
ambuletis                                    from the beginning, ye should walk in  
                                             it.
                                             
1:7  quoniam multi seductores exierunt       7.  For many deceivers are entered into  
in mundum qui non confitentur Iesum          the world, who confess not that Jesus  
Christum venientem in carne hic est          Christ is come in the flesh. This is a  
seductor et antichristus                     deceiver and an antichrist.
                                             
1:8  videte vosmet ipsos ne perdatis         8.  Look to yourselves, that we lose  
quae operati estis sed ut mercedem           not those things which we have wrought,  
plenam accipiatis                            but that we receive a full reward.
                                             
1:9  omnis qui praecedit et non manet        9.  Whosoever transgresseth, and  
in doctrina Christi Deum non habet qui       abideth not in the doctrine of Christ,  
permanet in doctrina hic et Filium et        hath not God. He that abideth in the  
Patrem habet                                 doctrine of Christ, he hath both the  
                                             Father and the Son.
                                             
1:10  si quis venit ad vos et hanc           10.  If there come any unto you, and  
doctrinam non adfert nolite recipere         bring not this doctrine, receive him  
eum in domum nec have ei dixeritis           not into your house, neither bid him  
                                             God speed:
                                             
1:11  qui enim dicit illi have               11.  For he that biddeth him God speed  
communicat operibus illius malignis          is partaker of his evil deeds.
                                             
1:12  plura habens vobis scribere nolui      12.  Having many things to write unto  
per cartam et atramentum spero enim me       you, I would not write with paper and  
futurum apud vos et os ad os loqui ut        ink: but I trust to come unto you, and  
gaudium vestrum plenum sit                   speak face to face, that our joy may be  
                                             full.
                                             
1:13  salutant te filii sororis tuae         13.  The children of thy elect sister  
electae                                      greet thee. Amen.