1 M y little children, these things I write to you, that ye may not sin: and if any one may sin, an advocate we have with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one,

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

2 a nd he -- he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world,

and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

3 a nd in this we know that we have known him, if his commands we may keep;

By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

4 h e who is saying, `I have known him,' and his command is not keeping, a liar he is, and in him the truth is not;

The one who says, “ I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

5 a nd whoever may keep his word, truly in him the love of God hath been perfected; in this we know that in him we are.

but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:

6 H e who is saying in him he doth remain, ought according as he walked also himself so to walk.

the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.

7 B rethren, a new command I write not to you, but an old command, that ye had from the beginning -- the old command is the word that ye heard from the beginning;

Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

8 a gain, a new command I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness doth pass away, and the true light doth now shine;

On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.

9 h e who is saying, in the light he is, and his brother is hating, in the darkness he is till now;

The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.

10 h e who is loving his brother, in the light he doth remain, and a stumbling-block in him there is not;

The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

11 a nd he who is hating his brother, in the darkness he is, and in the darkness he doth walk, and he hath not known whither he doth go, because the darkness did blind his eyes.

But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I write to you, little children, because the sins have been forgiven you through his name;

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

13 I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who from the beginning; I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil. I write to you, little youths, because ye have known 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 overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

14 I did write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who from the beginning; I did write to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God in you doth remain, and ye have overcome the evil.

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, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. Do Not Love the World

15 L ove not ye the world, nor the things in the world; if any one doth love the world, the love of the Father is not in him,

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 b ecause all that in the world -- the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the ostentation of the life -- is not of the Father, but of the world,

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

17 a nd the world doth pass away, and the desire of it, and he who is doing the will of God, he doth remain -- to the age.

The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

18 L ittle youths, it is the last hour; and even as ye heard that the antichrist doth come, even now antichrists have become many -- whence we know that it is the last hour;

Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

19 o ut of us they went forth, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but -- that they might be manifested that they are not all of us.

They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

20 A nd ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and have known all things;

But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.

21 I did not write to you because ye have not known the truth, but because ye have known it, and because no lie is of the truth.

I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

22 W ho is the liar, except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? this one is the antichrist who is denying the Father and the Son;

Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.

23 e very one who is denying the Son, neither hath he the Father,

Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

24 Y e, then, that which ye heard from the beginning, in you let it remain; if in you may remain that which from the beginning ye did hear, ye also in the Son and in the Father shall remain,

As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. The Promise Is Eternal Life

25 a nd this is the promise that He did promise us -- the life the age-during.

This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.

26 T hese things I did write to you concerning those leading you astray;

These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.

27 a nd you, the anointing that ye did receive from him, in you it doth remain, and ye have no need that any one may teach you, but as the same anointing doth teach you concerning all, and is true, and is not a lie, and even as was taught you, ye shall remain in him.

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.

28 A nd now, little children, remain in him, that when he may be manifested, we may have boldness, and may not be ashamed before him, in his presence;

Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

29 i f ye know that he is righteous, know ye that every one doing the righteousness, of him hath been begotten.

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him.