1 H ijitos míos, estas cosas os escribo para que no pequéis; y si alguno hubiere pecado, abogado tenemos para con el Padre, a Jesucristo el justo.

My 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.

2 Y él es la propiciación por nuestros pecados; y no solamente por los nuestros, sino también por los de todo el mundo.

And 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.

3 Y en esto sabemos que nosotros le conocemos, si guardamos sus mandamientos.

And 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).

4 E l que dice: Yo le conozco, y no guarda sus mandamientos, el tal es mentiroso, y la verdad no está en él;

Whoever 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.

5 p ero el que guarda su palabra, en éste verdaderamente el amor de Dios se ha perfeccionado; por esto sabemos que estamos en él.

But 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:

6 E l que dice que permanece en él, debe andar como él anduvo. El nuevo mandamiento

Whoever 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.

7 H ermanos, no os escribo mandamiento nuevo, sino el mandamiento antiguo que habéis tenido desde el principio; este mandamiento antiguo es la palabra que habéis oído desde el principio.

Beloved, 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].

8 S in embargo, os escribo un mandamiento nuevo, que es verdadero en él y en vosotros, porque las tinieblas van pasando, y la luz verdadera ya alumbra.

Yet 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.

9 E l que dice que está en la luz, y aborrece a su hermano, está todavía en tinieblas.

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

10 E l que ama a su hermano, permanece en la luz, y en él no hay tropiezo.

Whoever 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.

11 P ero el que aborrece a su hermano está en tinieblas, y anda en tinieblas, y no sabe a dónde va, porque las tinieblas le han cegado los ojos.

But 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.

12 O s escribo a vosotros, hijitos, porque vuestros pecados os han sido perdonados por su nombre.

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

13 O s escribo a vosotros, padres, porque conocéis al que es desde el principio. Os escribo a vosotros, jóvenes, porque habéis vencido al maligno. Os escribo a vosotros, hijitos, porque habéis conocido al Padre.

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.

14 O s he escrito a vosotros, padres, porque habéis conocido al que es desde el principio. Os he escrito a vosotros, jóvenes, porque sois fuertes, y la palabra de Dios permanece en vosotros, y habéis vencido al maligno.

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.

15 N o améis al mundo, ni las cosas que están en el mundo. Si alguno ama al mundo, el amor del Padre no está en él.

Do 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.

16 P orque todo lo que hay en el mundo, los deseos de la carne, los deseos de los ojos, y la vanagloria de la vida, no proviene del Padre, sino del mundo.

For 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.

17 Y el mundo pasa, y sus deseos; pero el que hace la voluntad de Dios permanece para siempre. El anticristo

And 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.

18 H ijitos, ya es el último tiempo; y según vosotros oísteis que el anticristo viene, así ahora han surgido muchos anticristos; por esto conocemos que es el último tiempo.

Boys (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.

19 S alieron de nosotros, pero no eran de nosotros; porque si hubiesen sido de nosotros, habrían permanecido con nosotros; pero salieron para que se manifestase que no todos son de nosotros.

They 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.

20 P ero vosotros tenéis la unción del Santo, y conocéis todas las cosas.

But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know or you know all things.

21 N o os he escrito como si ignoraseis la verdad, sino porque la conocéis, y porque ninguna mentira procede de la verdad.

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.

22 ¿ Quién es el mentiroso, sino el que niega que Jesús es el Cristo? Este es anticristo, el que niega al Padre y al Hijo.

Who 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.

23 T odo aquel que niega al Hijo, tampoco tiene al Padre. El que confiesa al Hijo, tiene también al Padre.

No one who '> habitually] denies (disowns) the Son even has the Father. Whoever confesses (acknowledges and has) the Son has the Father also.

24 L o que habéis oído desde el principio, permanezca en vosotros. Si lo que habéis oído desde el principio permanece en vosotros, también vosotros permaneceréis en el Hijo y en el Padre.

As 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.

25 Y esta es la promesa que él nos hizo, la vida eterna.

And this is what He Himself has promised us—the life, the eternal.

26 O s he escrito esto sobre los que os engañan.

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

27 P ero la unción que vosotros recibisteis de él permanece en vosotros, y no tenéis necesidad de que nadie os enseñe; así como la unción misma os enseña todas las cosas, y es verdadera, y no es mentira, según ella os ha enseñado, permaneced en él.

But 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.

28 Y ahora, hijitos, permaneced en él, para que cuando se manifieste, tengamos confianza, para que en su venida no nos alejemos de él avergonzados.

And 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.

29 S i sabéis que él es justo, sabed también que todo el que hace justicia es nacido de él.

If 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].