3 John 1:11
New International Version
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

New Living Translation
Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

English Standard Version
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

Berean Standard Bible
Beloved, 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.

Berean Literal Bible
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one doing good is of God; the one doing evil has not seen God.

King James Bible
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

New King James Version
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

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

NASB 1995
Beloved, 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.

NASB 1977
Beloved, 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.

Legacy Standard Bible
Beloved, 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.

Amplified Bible
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who practices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all].

Christian Standard Bible
Dear friend, 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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Dear friend, 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.

American Standard Version
Beloved, imitate not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
Our beloved, do not imitate evil, but the good. One who does good is from God. One who does evil has not seen God.

Contemporary English Version
Dear friend, don't imitate the evil deeds of others, but follow the example of people who do kind deeds. They are God's children, but those who are always doing evil have never seen God.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Dearly beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doth good, is of God: he that doth evil, hath not seen God.

English Revised Version
Beloved, imitate not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Dear friend, never imitate evil, but imitate good. The person who does good is from God. The person who does evil has never seen God.

Good News Translation
My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good belongs to God; whoever does what is bad has not seen God.

International Standard Version
Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The person who does what is good is from God. The person who does what is evil has never seen God.

Literal Standard Version
Beloved, do not be following that which is evil, but that which is good; he who is doing good, he is of God, [but] he who is doing evil has not seen God;

Majority Standard Bible
Beloved, 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.

New American Bible
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does what is good is of God; whoever does what is evil has never seen God.

NET Bible
Dear friend, do not imitate what is bad but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does what is bad has not seen God.

New Revised Standard Version
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil but imitate what is good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

New Heart English Bible
Beloved, do not imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn't seen God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

Weymouth New Testament
My dear friend, do not follow wrong examples, but right ones. He who habitually does what is right is a child of God: he who habitually does what is wrong has not seen God.

World English Bible
Beloved, don’t imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. He who does good is of God. He who does evil hasn’t seen God.

Young's Literal Translation
Beloved, be not thou following that which is evil, but that which is good; he who is doing good, of God he is, and he who is doing evil hath not seen God;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Diotrephes and Demetrius
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.…

Cross References
Psalm 34:14
Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 37:27
Turn away from evil and do good, so that you will abide forever.

1 John 2:29
If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.

1 John 3:6
No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

1 John 3:9
Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God's seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

1 John 3:10
By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.


Treasury of Scripture

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.

Beloved.

follow.

Exodus 23:2
Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

Psalm 37:27
Depart from evil, and do good; and dwell for evermore.

Proverbs 12:11
He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

He that doeth good.

1 Peter 3:11
Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.

See on

1 John 2:29
If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

1 John 3:6-9
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him…

he that doeth evil.

John 3:20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

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Beloved Child Dear Evil Examples Follow Following Friend Good Habitually Hasn't Imitate Loved Ones Right Wrong
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Beloved Child Dear Evil Examples Follow Following Friend Good Habitually Hasn't Imitate Loved Ones Right Wrong
3 John 1
1. He commends Gaius for his piety,
5. and hospitality,
7. to true preachers;
9. complaining of the unkind dealing of ambitious Diotrephes on the contrary side;
11. whose evil example is not to be followed;
12. and gives special testimony to the good report of Demetrius.














Ver. 11. - This is the moral to which St. John has been leading up. Diotrephes will at least serve as a warning. A Christian gentleman will note such behaviour in order to avoid it. Strengthened by his own previous walk in the truth (verse 3), and encouraged by the apostle (verses 5-8), with Diotrephes as a warning on the one hand, and Demetrius as an example on the other, he ought not to fail in proving his heavenly birth by doing good and avoiding evil (see on 1 John 3:6).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Beloved,
Ἀγαπητέ (Agapēte)
Adjective - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 27: From agapao; beloved.

{do} not
μὴ (mē)
Adverb
Strong's 3361: Not, lest. A primary particle of qualified negation; not, lest; also (whereas ou expects an affirmative one) whether.

imitate
μιμοῦ (mimou)
Verb - Present Imperative Middle or Passive - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3401: To imitate, follow. Middle voice from mimos; to imitate.

what [is]
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

evil,
κακὸν (kakon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 2556: Bad, evil, in the widest sense. Apparently a primary word; worthless, i.e. depraved, or injurious.

but
ἀλλὰ (alla)
Conjunction
Strong's 235: But, except, however. Neuter plural of allos; properly, other things, i.e. contrariwise.

what [is]
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

good.
ἀγαθόν (agathon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 18: A primary word; 'good'.

The [one who]
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

does good
ἀγαθοποιῶν (agathopoiōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 15: To do that which is good. From agathopoios; to be a well-doer.

is
ἐστιν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

of
ἐκ (ek)
Preposition
Strong's 1537: From out, out from among, from, suggesting from the interior outwards. A primary preposition denoting origin, from, out.

God;
Θεοῦ (Theou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

the [one who]
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

does evil
κακοποιῶν (kakopoiōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2554: To do harm, do wrong, do evil, commit sin. From kakopoios; to be a bad-doer, i.e. to injure, or to sin.

has not seen
ἑώρακεν (heōraken)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3708: Properly, to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly; by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear.

God.
Θεόν (Theon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.


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NT Letters: 3 John 1:11 Beloved don't imitate that which is evil (3J iiiJ 3Jn iii jn 3 jo)
3 John 1:10
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