| NET Bible | English Standard Version |
| 1(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God's children--and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. | 1See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. |
| 2Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. | 2Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. |
| 3And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure). | 3And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure. |
| 4Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; indeed, sin is lawlessness. | 4Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. |
| 5And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. | 5You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. |
| 6Everyone who resides in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. | 6No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. |
| 7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous. | 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. |
| 8The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. | 8Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. |
| 9Everyone who has been fathered by God does not practice sin, because God's seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. | 9No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. |
| 10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice righteousness--the one who does not love his fellow Christian--is not of God. | 10By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. |
| 11For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, | 11For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. |
| 12not like Cain who was of the evil one and brutally murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother's were righteous. | 12We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. |
| 13Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. | 13Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. |
| 14We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death. | 14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. |
| 15Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. | 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. |
| 16We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. | 16By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. |
| 17But whoever has the world's possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person? | 17But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? |
| 18Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. | 18Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. |
| 19And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence, | 19By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; |
| 20that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. | 20for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. |
| 21Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, | 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; |
| 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. | 22and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. |
| 23Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. | 23And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. |
| 24And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us. | 24Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us. |
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