King James Bible

New Living Translation

1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous.

2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

2He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

3And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

3And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments.

4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

4If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth.

5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

5But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him.

6He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

6Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did. A New Commandment

7Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

7Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before.

8Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

8Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

9He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

9If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.

10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

10Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.

11But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

11But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

12I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

13I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.

14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

14I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father. I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning. I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong. God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one. Do Not Love This World

15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

15Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.

16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

16For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.

17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

17And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. Warning about Antichrists

18Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

18Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

19These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

20But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.

21I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

21So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies.

22Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

22And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist.

23Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

23Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

24So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father.

25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

25And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

26These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

26I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray.

27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

27But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. Living as Children of God

28And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

28And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

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

29Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.