1 John 3:1-24
3 See what sort of love+ the Father has given us, so that we should be called children of God;+ and such we are. That is why the world+ does not have a knowledge of us, because it has not come to know him.+
2 Beloved ones, now we are children of God,+ but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be.+ We do know that whenever he* is made manifest+ we shall be like him,+ because we shall see him just as he is.+
3 And everyone who has this hope set upon him purifies+ himself just as that one is pure.+
4 Everyone who practices* sin+ is also practicing lawlessness,+ and so sin+ is lawlessness.
5 YOU know too that that one was made manifest to take away [our]* sins,+ and there is no sin+ in him.
6 Everyone remaining in union+ with him does not practice sin;+ no one that practices sin has either seen him or come to know him.+
7 Little children, let no one mislead YOU; he who carries on righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous.+
8 He who carries on sin originates with the Devil,* because the Devil has been sinning from [the] beginning.*+ For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest,+ namely, to break up the works of the Devil.+
9 Everyone who has been born* from God does not carry on sin,+ because His [reproductive] seed remains in such one, and he cannot practice sin, because he has been born from God.+
10 The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness+ does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother.+
11 For this is the message which YOU have heard from [the] beginning,*+ that we should have love for one another;+
12 not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered+ his brother. And for the sake of what did he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked,+ but those of his brother [were] righteous.+
13 Do not marvel, brothers, that the world hates YOU.+
14 We know we have passed over from death to life,+ because we love the brothers.+ He who does not love remains in death.+
15 Everyone who hates+ his brother is a manslayer,+ and YOU know that no manslayer+ has everlasting life remaining in him.+
16 By this we have come to know love,+ because that one surrendered his soul* for us;+ and we are under obligation to surrender [our] souls* for [our]* brothers.+
17 But whoever has this world’s means for supporting life+ and beholds his brother having need+ and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him,+ in what way does the love of God remain in him?+
18 Little children, let us love,+ neither in word nor with the tongue,+ but in deed+ and truth.+
19 By this we shall know that we originate with the truth,+ and we shall assure* our hearts before him
20 as regards whatever our hearts may condemn us in,+ because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.+
21 Beloved ones, if [our] hearts do not condemn [us], we have freeness of speech toward God;+
22 and whatever we ask we receive from him,+ because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in his eyes.+
23 Indeed, this is his commandment, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ+ and be loving one another,+ just as he gave us commandment.
24 Moreover, he who observes his commandments remains in union with him, and he in union with such one;+ and by this we gain the knowledge that he is remaining in union with us,+ owing to the spirit+ which he gave us.
Footnotes
^ Or, “it.”
^ Lit., “Everyone doing.”
^ Lit., “the.”
^ “The Devil.” Gr., tou Di·a·boʹlou; Lat., Di·aʹbo·lo; J17,18,22(Heb.), has·Sa·tanʹ.
^ Or, “from when he began.”
^ Lit., “having been generated.”
^ “From [the] beginning.” Gr., apʼ ar·khesʹ; Lat., ab i·niʹti·o; J17(Heb.), me·roʼshʹ.
^ Or, “life.” Gr., psy·khenʹ; Lat., aʹni·mam; J17,18,22(Heb.), naph·shohʹ, “his soul.” See App 4A.
^ Or, “lives.”
^ Lit., “the.”
^ Lit., “we shall persuade.”
