1 M y little children, I write you these things so that you may not violate God’s law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father— Jesus Christ righteous.

My dear children, I am writing this to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, there is One Who will go between him and the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the One Who is right with God.

2 A nd He '> that same Jesus Himself] is the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins, and not for ours alone but also for the whole world.

He paid for our sins with His own blood. He did not pay for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world.

3 A nd this is how we may discern '> daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments).

We can be sure that we know Him if we obey His teaching.

4 W hoever says, I know Him but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth '> of the Gospel] is not in him.

Anyone who says, “I know Him,” but does not obey His teaching is a liar. There is no truth in him.

5 B ut he who keeps (treasures) His Word, truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him:

But whoever obeys His Word has the love of God made perfect in him. This is the way to know if you belong to Christ.

6 W hoever says he abides in Him ought '> a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

The one who says he belongs to Christ should live the same kind of life Christ lived.

7 B eloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the message which you have heard '> doctrine of salvation through Christ].

Dear friends, I am not writing a new Law for you to obey. It is an old Law you have had from the beginning. The old Law is the Word that you have heard.

8 Y et I am writing you a new commandment, which is true (is realized) in Him and in you, because the darkness ( moral blindness) is clearing away and the true Light ( the revelation of God in Christ) is already shining.

And yet it is a new Law that I am writing to you. It is truth. It was seen in Christ and it is seen in you also. The darkness is passing away and the true Light shines instead.

9 W hoever says he is in the Light and hates his brother '> born-again child of God his Father] is in darkness even until now.

Whoever says he is in the light but hates his brother is still in darkness.

10 W hoever loves his brother abides (lives) in the Light, and in It or in him there is no occasion for stumbling or cause for error or sin.

But whoever loves his brother is in the light. And there will be no reason to sin because of him.

11 B ut he who hates (detests, despises) his brother '> in Christ] is in darkness and walking (living) in the dark; he is straying and does not perceive or know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Whoever hates his brother is not in the light but lives in darkness. He does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes. Do Not Love the World

12 I am writing to you, little children, because for His name’s sake your sins are forgiven.

I am writing to you, my children, for your sins have been forgiven because of Christ’s name.

13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know (recognize, be aware of, and understand) Him Who from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have been victorious over the wicked. I write to you, boys (lads), because you have come to know (recognize and be aware) of the Father.

I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him Who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have power over the devil. I have written to you, young boys and girls, because you have learned to know the Father.

14 I write to you, fathers, because you have come to know (recognize, be conscious of, and understand) Him Who from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong and vigorous, and the Word of God is abiding in you (in your hearts), and you have been victorious over the wicked one.

I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him Who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong. You have kept God’s Word in your hearts. You have power over the devil.

15 D o not love or cherish the world or the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Father’s love is not in him.

16 F or all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life —these do not come from the Father but are from the world.

For everything that is in the world does not come from the Father. The desires of our flesh and the things our eyes see and want and the pride of this life come from the world.

17 A nd the world passes away and disappears, and with it the forbidden cravings (the passionate desires, the lust) of it; but he who does the will of God and carries out His purposes in his life abides (remains) forever.

The world and all its desires will pass away. But the man who obeys God and does what He wants done will live forever.

18 B oys (lads), it is the last time (hour, the end of this age). And as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, which confirms our belief that it is the final (the end) time.

My children, we are near the end of the world. You have heard that the false-christ is coming. Many false-christs have already come. This is how we know the end of the world is near.

19 T hey went out from our number, but they did not belong to us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But that it might be plain that they all are not of us.

These left us. But they never belonged to us. If they had been a part of us, they would have stayed with us. Because they left, it is known they did not belong to us.

20 B ut you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know or you know all things.

The Holy Spirit has been given to you and you all know the truth.

21 I write to you not because you are ignorant and do not perceive and know the Truth, but because you do perceive and know it, and that nothing false (no deception, no lie) is of the Truth.

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth. I have written because you do know the truth and you know that no lie comes from the truth.

22 W ho is liar as he who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah)? He is the antichrist (the antagonist of Christ), who '> habitually] denies and refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son.

Who is a liar? He is a person who says that Jesus is not the Christ. The false-christ will have nothing to do with the Father and the Son and he will turn away from Them.

23 N o one who '> habitually] denies (disowns) the Son even has the Father. Whoever confesses (acknowledges and has) the Son has the Father also.

A person who will have nothing to do with the Son and turns against Him does not have the Father. The one who says he knows the Son has the Father also.

24 A s for you, keep in your hearts what you have heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the first dwells and remains in you, then you will dwell in the Son and in the Father.

Keep in your heart what you have heard from the beginning. Then you will belong to the Son and to the Father if what you have heard from the beginning is in you.

25 A nd this is what He Himself has promised us—the life, the eternal.

And He has promised us life that lasts forever!

26 I write this to you with reference to those who would deceive you.

I have written to you about those who are trying to lead you in the wrong way.

27 B ut as for you, the anointing (the sacred appointment, the unction) which you received from Him abides '> permanently] in you; then you have no need that anyone should instruct you. But just as His anointing teaches you concerning everything and is true and is no falsehood, so you must abide in (live in, never depart from) Him '> rooted in Him, knit to Him], just as has taught you.

Christ gave you the Holy Spirit and He lives in you. You do not need anyone to teach you. The Holy Spirit is able to teach you all things. What He teaches you is truth and not a lie. Live by the help of Christ as the Holy Spirit has taught you.

28 A nd now, little children, abide (live, remain permanently) in Him, so that when He is made visible, we may have and enjoy perfect confidence (boldness, assurance) and not be ashamed and shrink from Him at His coming.

And now, my children, live by the help of Him. Then when He comes again, we will be glad to see Him and not be ashamed.

29 I f you know (perceive and are sure) that He is righteous, you may also know (be sure) that everyone who does righteously is born (begotten) of Him '> God].

You know that Christ is right with God. Then you should know that everyone who is right with God is a child of His.