1 S ee what '> an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.

See ye what love the Father hath given to us, that children of God we may be called; because of this the world doth not know us, because it did not know Him;

2 B eloved, we are now God’s children; it is not yet disclosed (made clear) what we shall be, but we know that when He comes and is manifested, we shall '> as God’s children] resemble and be like Him, for we shall see Him just as He is.

beloved, now, children of God are we, and it was not yet manifested what we shall be, and we have known that if he may be manifested, like him we shall be, because we shall see him as he is;

3 A nd everyone who has this hope on Him cleanses (purifies) himself just as He is pure (chaste, undefiled, guiltless).

and every one who is having this hope on him, doth purify himself, even as he is pure.

4 E veryone who commits (practices) sin is guilty of lawlessness; for sin is, lawlessness (the breaking, violating of God’s law by transgression or neglect—being unrestrained and unregulated by His commands and His will).

Every one who is doing the sin, the lawlessness also he doth do, and the sin is the lawlessness,

5 Y ou know that He appeared in visible form and became Man to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin '> essentially and forever].

and ye have known that he was manifested that our sins he may take away, and sin is not in him;

6 N o one who abides in Him '> in communion with and in obedience to Him—deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] commits (practices) sin. No one who sins has either seen or known Him.

every one who is remaining in him doth not sin; every one who is sinning, hath not seen him, nor known him.

7 B oys (lads), let no one deceive and lead you astray. He who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.

Little children, let no one lead you astray; he who is doing the righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous,

8 h e who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned (violated the divine law) from the beginning. The reason the Son of God was made manifest (visible) was to undo (destroy, loosen, and dissolve) the works the devil.

he who is doing the sin, of the devil he is, because from the beginning the devil doth sin; for this was the Son of God manifested, that he may break up the works of the devil;

9 N o one born (begotten) of God '> habitually] practices sin, for God’s nature abides in him; and he cannot practice sinning because he is born (begotten) of God.

every one who hath been begotten of God, sin he doth not, because his seed in him doth remain, and he is not able to sin, because of God he hath been begotten.

10 B y this it is made clear who take their nature from God and are His children and who take their nature from the devil and are his children: no one who does not practice righteousness is of God; neither is anyone who does not love his brother (his fellow believer in Christ).

In this manifest are the children of God, and the children of the devil; every one who is not doing righteousness, is not of God, and he who is not loving his brother,

11 F or this is the message (the announcement) which you have heard from the first, that we should love one another,

because this is the message that ye did hear from the beginning, that we may love one another,

12 n ot be like Cain who from the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his deeds (activities, works) were wicked and malicious and his brother’s were righteous (virtuous).

not as Cain -- of the evil one he was, and he did slay his brother, and wherefore did he slay him? because his works were evil, and those of his brother righteous.

13 D o not be surprised and wonder, brethren, that the world detests and pursues you with hatred.

Do not wonder, my brethren, if the world doth hate you;

14 W e know that we have passed over out of death into Life by the fact that we love the brethren (our fellow Christians). He who does not love abides (remains, is held and kept continually) in death.

we -- we have known that we have passed out of the death to the life, because we love the brethren; he who is not loving the brother doth remain in the death.

15 A nyone who hates (abominates, detests) his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding ( persevering) within him.

Every one who is hating his brother -- a man-killer he is, and ye have known that no man-killer hath life age-during in him remaining,

16 B y this we come to know (progressively to recognize, to perceive, to understand) the love: that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay lives down for brothers '> in Him].

in this we have known the love, because he for us his life did lay down, and we ought for the brethren the lives to lay down;

17 B ut if anyone has this world’s goods (resources for sustaining life) and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?

and whoever may have the goods of the world, and may view his brother having need, and may shut up his bowels from him -- how doth the love of God remain in him?

18 L ittle children, let us not love in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth (in practice and in sincerity).

My little children, may we not love in word nor in tongue, but in word and in truth!

19 B y this we shall come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we are of the Truth, and can reassure (quiet, conciliate, and pacify) our hearts in His presence,

and in this we know that of the truth we are, and before Him we shall assure our hearts,

20 W henever our hearts in '> tormenting] self-accusation make us feel guilty and condemn us. '> we are in God’s hands.] For He is above and greater than our consciences (our hearts), and He knows (perceives and understands) everything.

because if our heart may condemn -- because greater is God than our heart, and He doth know all things.

21 A nd, beloved, if our consciences (our hearts) do not accuse us, we have confidence (complete assurance and boldness) before God,

Beloved, if our heart may not condemn us, we have boldness toward God,

22 A nd we receive from Him whatever we ask, because we '> watchfully] obey His orders and '> habitually] practice what is pleasing to Him.

and whatever we may ask, we receive from Him, because His commands we keep, and the things pleasing before Him we do,

23 A nd this is His order (His command, His injunction): that we should believe in (put our faith and trust in and adhere to and rely on) the name of His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah), and that we should love one another, just as He has commanded us.

and this is His command, that we may believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and may love one another, even as He did give command to us,

24 A ll who keep His commandments abide in Him, and He in them. '> They let Christ be a home to them and they are the home of Christ.] And by this we know and understand and have the proof that He lives and makes His home in us: by the Spirit Whom He has given us.

and he who is keeping His commands, in Him he doth remain, and He in him; and in this we know that He doth remain in us, from the Spirit that He gave us.