1 John 3

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of YHWH! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

Look at the amazing kind of love the Father has for us! This is why we can be called God's children—for that's who we are! The reason why the people of this world don't recognize us as God's children is because they don't recognize him.

2 Beloved, now we are children of YHWH; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

My friends, we are already God's children; however what we shall become hasn't been revealed just yet. But we do know that when he appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

All those who have this hope in them make sure they are pure, just as he is pure.

4 Whoever commits sin transgresses also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law.

All those who sin are lawless, because sin is lawlessness.

5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.

But of course you know that Jesus came to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him.

6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

All those who live in him don't go on sinning; all those who keep on sinning haven't seen him and haven't known him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

Dear friends, don't let anyone fool you: those who do what is right are right, in the same way as Jesus is right.

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of YHWH was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Those who sin are of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. That's the reason why the Son of God came—to destroy what the devil has done.

9 Whoever has been born of YHWH does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of YHWH.

All those who are born of God don't keep on sinning, for God's nature lives in them. They can't keep on sinning because they are born of God.

10 In this the children of YHWH and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of YHWH, nor is he who does not love his brother.

This is how God's children and the devil's children can be distinguished: all those who don't do what's right don't belong to God, nor do those who don't love their fellow Christians.

11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

The message you've heard from the beginning is simply this: we should love one another.

12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.

We cannot be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one, and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because Cain did what was evil, while his brother did what was right.

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.

So don't be surprised, my friends, if this world hates you!

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

The reason we know that we have changed from death to life is because we love our Christian brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn't love remains dead.

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (aiōnios g166)

All those who hate their Christian brothers and sisters are murderers, and you know that no murderers have eternal life within them! (aiōnios g166)

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.

17 But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of YHWH abide in him?

If one of you is living well in this world and you see your Christian brother or sister in need, but you don't show compassion—how can God's love be living in you?

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Dear friends, let's not just say we love with words, but show our love in what we do and how we demonstrate the truth.

19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

This is how we will know that we belong to the truth, and how we will set our minds at rest before God

20 For if our heart condemns us, YHWH is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

whenever we think we're in the wrong. God is greater than how we think, and he knows everything.

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward YHWH.

Dear friends, if we're reassured we're not in the wrong, we can have confidence before God.

22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

We'll receive from him whatever we ask him for, because we follow his commands and do what pleases him.

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Yahushua the Messiah and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

This is what he commands: we should trust in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us to do.

24 Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Those who keep his commands continue to live in him, and he lives in them. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit he has given us.