3 John 1:11 — Compare Translations

28 translations compared side by side

English (YLT) 1898 Young's Literal Translation by Robert Young

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;

English ASV

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.

English Amplified

Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen (discerned or experienced) God [has enjoyed no vision of Him and does not know Him at all].

English Amplified Classic Bible 1987

Beloved, do not imitate evil, but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen (discerned or experienced) God [has enjoyed no vision of Him and does not know Him at all].

English Berean Standard Bible (BSB) 2025

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.

English CSB 2017 - 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.

English Darby 1890 : Public Domain

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He that does good is of God. He that does evil has not seen God.

English EASY 2024

My friend, do not copy what bad people do. Instead, you should copy the good things that people do. The person who does good things shows that he belongs to God. But anyone who does bad things does not know God.

English ERV 2006 - Only For Website

My dear friend, don't follow what is bad; follow what is good. Whoever does what is good is from God. But whoever does evil has never known God.

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

English GNT (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.

English God's Word - GW 1995

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.

English HCSB 2004 - Copyrighted Only For Website

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.

English KJV 1611

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.

English LSB

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.

English MEV 2014 (Modern English Version)

Beloved, do not imitate that which is evil, but that which is good. Whoever does good is from God, but whoever does evil has not seen God.

English NASB (New American Standard Bible - 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.

English NASU 1989 - New American Standard Update - Only for Website

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.

English NET Bible - 2005 (New English Translation)

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.

English NIRV 1996 - Copyrighted only for Website

Dear friend, don't be like those who do evil. Be like those who do good. Anyone who does what is good belongs to God. Anyone who does what is evil hasn't really seen or known God.

English NIV

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.

English NKJ 1982

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.

English NLT

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 NRSV 1989 - Only for website

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.

English Passion Translation Bible 2020

Delightfully loved ones, don’t imitate what is evil, but imitate that which is good. Whoever does good is of God; whoever does evil has not seen God.

English RSV (Revised Standard Version)

Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has not seen God.

English TL (The Living Bible) (1971)

Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do what is right prove that they are God's children; and those who continue in evil prove that they are far from God.

English Tyndale 1537

Dearly beloved counterfeit(follow) not that which is evil, but that which is good: He that doeth well is of God: but he that doeth evil seeth not God.