1 John 3

1 See what love the Father has given to us, that we may be called children of God; because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him.

2 Beloved, now, we are children of God, and it was not yet revealed what we will be. We have known that if He may have appeared, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is;

Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been fully revealed. We know that if Christ reappears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.

3 and everyone who is having this hope on Him, purifies himself, even as He is pure.

And every man who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself so as to be as pure as He is.

4 Everyone who is doing sin, he also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness,

Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law.

5 and you have known that He appeared that He may take away our sins, and sin is not in Him;

And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

6 everyone who is remaining in Him does not sin; everyone who is sinning, has not seen Him, nor known Him.

No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.

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

Dear children, let no one lead you astray. The man who acts righteously is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 he who is doing sin, he is of the Devil, because the Devil sins from the beginning; for this [reason] the Son of God appeared, that He may undo the works of the Devil;

He who is habitually guilty of sin is a child of the Devil, because the Devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for the purpose of undoing the work of the Devil.

9 everyone who has been begotten of God, he does not sin, because His seed remains in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been begotten of God.

No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God.

10 In this are revealed the children of God, and the children of the Devil; everyone who is not doing righteousness, is not of God, and he who is not loving his brother,

By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.

11 because this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we may love one another,

For this is the Message you have heard from the beginning--that we are to love one another.

12 not as Cain—he was of the evil one, and he slew his brother. And for [what] reason did he slay him? Because his works were evil, and those of his brother [were] righteous.

We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous.

13 Do not wonder, my brothers, if the world hates you;

Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.

14 we have known that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers; he who is not loving [his] brother remains in death.

As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead.

15 Everyone who is hating his brother is a manslayer, and you have known that no manslayer has continuous life remaining in him; (aiōnios g166)

Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him. (aiōnios g166)

16 in this we have known love, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brothers;

We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men.

17 and whoever may have the goods of the world, and may view his brother having need, and may shut up his yearnings from him—how does the love of God remain in him?

But if any one has this world's wealth and sees that his brother man is in need, and yet hardens his heart against him--how can such a one continue to love God?

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

Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.

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

And in this way we shall come to know that we are loyal to the truth, and shall satisfy our consciences in His presence

20 because if our heart may condemn—because greater is God than our heart, and He knows all things.

in whatever matters our hearts condemn us--because God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.

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

Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have perfect confidence towards God;

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

and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight.

23 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 gave command to us,

And this is His command--that we are to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us to do.

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

The man who obeys His commands continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him; and through His Spirit whom He has given us we can know that He continues in union with us.