1 John 2
1 You who are very dear to me, I am writing this to you [to say], “Do not sin!” But if any of you [believers] sins, [God can forgive you because] we have Jesus Christ, who is the righteous one, who speaks to the Father on our behalf [and asks him to forgive us].
Mijn kinderkens, ik schrijf u deze dingen, opdat gij niet zondigt. En indien iemand gezondigd heeft, wij hebben een Voorspraak bij den Vader, Jezus Christus, den Rechtvaardige;
2 [Remember that Jesus Christ] voluntarily sacrificed [his own life for us, so that as a result God forgives] our sins. [Yes, God is able to forgive] our sins, but not only ours! [He is] also [able to forgive] the sins of people everywhere!
En Hij is een verzoening voor onze zonden; en niet alleen voor de onze, maar ook voor de zonden der gehele wereld.
3 [I will tell you] how we can be sure that we (know/have a close relationship with) [God]. [If we] obey what he commands [us to do, that shows us that we have a close relationship with him. So we must always obey what he commands us to do].
En hieraan kennen wij, dat wij Hem gekend hebben, zo wij Zijn geboden bewaren.
4 Those who say, “We (know/have a close relationship with) God,” and do not obey what [God] commands [us to do], are liars. They are not conducting their lives according to [God’s] true message.
Die daar zegt: Ik ken Hem, en Zijn geboden niet bewaart, die is een leugenaar, en in dien is de waarheid niet;
5 But those who obey what [God] commands them to do are the people who love God in the manner in which he wants us to. [I will tell you] how we can be sure that we have a close relationship with God:
Maar zo wie Zijn Woord bewaart, in dien is waarlijk de liefde Gods volmaakt geworden; hieraan kennen wij, dat wij in Hem zijn.
6 If we say that we are living as God wants us to, we should [conduct our lives] as Christ [did].
Die zegt, dat hij in Hem blijft, die moet ook zelf alzo wandelen, gelijk Hij gewandeld heeft.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new [additional] command to you. Instead, I am writing to you a command which was given to you when you first [MTY] [believed in Christ]. That command is [part of] the message that you have [always] heard.
Broeders! Ik schrijf u geen nieuw gebod, maar een oud gebod, dat gij van den beginne gehad hebt; dit oud gebod is het woord, dat gij van den beginne gehoord hebt.
8 Nevertheless, [I can say that] the command I am writing to you is a new command. [It is new because] what Christ [did] was new, and what you [are doing] is new, because [you have been ceasing to conduct your lives in a morally impure manner] and [are now truly conducting your lives in a pure manner. That is like] [MET] no longer [living in] darkness. Instead, [it is like] living where a brilliant light is already shining.
Wederom schrijf ik u een nieuw gebod: hetgeen waarachtig is in Hem, zij ook in u waarachtig; want de duisternis gaat voorbij, en het waarachtige licht schijnt nu.
9 Those who claim that they are [pure in every way, like people] [MET] living in the light, but hate any of their fellow believers, are still [behaving in an impure manner, like] [MET] [people who are continually living] in darkness.
Die zegt, dat hij in het licht is, en zijn broeder haat, die is in de duisternis tot nog toe.
10 But those who love their fellow believers [are continuing to conduct their lives like people] who are living in the light. They are people who please [God] [LIT]. [So you should love your fellow believers].
Die zijn broeder liefheeft, blijft in het licht, en geen ergernis is in hem.
11 But those who hate any of their fellow believers are still [conducting their lives in an impure way, like] [MET] [people who are living] in darkness. They do not know that they will eventually destroy themselves [eternally]. They have become [spiritually] blind [PRS, MET], [unaware of spiritual truth].
Maar die zijn broeder haat, is in de duisternis, en wandelt in de duisternis, en weet niet, waar hij henengaat; want de duisternis heeft zijn ogen verblind.
12 I am writing [this] to you [whom I love as though] [MET] [you were my] little children, to you who are [spiritually mature people who are like] [MET] fathers, and to you [spiritually vigorous/strong people who are like] [MET] young men. Remember that your sins have been forgiven {[God] has forgiven your sins} on account of what Christ [MTY] [has done]. You now know [Christ, the one] who always existed. You have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
Ik schrijf u, kinderkens, want de zonden zijn u vergeven om Zijns Naams wil.
Ik schrijf u, vaders! want gij hebt Hem gekend, Die van den beginne is. Ik schrijf u, jongelingen, want gij hebt den boze overwonnen. Ik schrijf u, kinderen, want gij hebt den Vader gekend.
14 [I will say it again]: I have written [this] to you because you have come to know the Father, because you now know [Christ, the one] who always existed, because you are [spiritually] strong, because you continue to [obey] God’s word, and because you have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
Ik heb u geschreven, vaders, want gij hebt Hem gekend, Die van den beginne is. Ik heb u geschreven, jongelingen, want gij zijt sterk, en het Woord Gods blijft in u, en gij hebt den boze overwonnen.
15 Do not desire [to conduct you lives in the evil manner in which] godless [people in] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives], and do not love anything that [the evil people] in the world [MTY] [consider to be good]. Those who desire [to conduct their lives in the evil manner in which other people of] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives] do not [really] love [God], their Father, [at all].
Hebt de wereld niet lief, noch hetgeen in de wereld is; zo iemand de wereld liefheeft, de liefde des Vaders is niet in hem.
16 Keep in mind that all [the evil human desires] in the world [are actions/things such as these]: [People] desire to do [what] their self-directed nature [strongly desires]. [People] desire [to possess] whatever (appeals to their senses/they see or hear about). [People] boast about the material things that they possess. [Such evil ways of living] do not originate/come from the Father! Instead they originate/come from [the (godless people in] the world/people in the world who conduct their lives in a manner that displeases God) [MTY]!
Want al wat in de wereld is, namelijk de begeerlijkheid des vleses, en de begeerlijkheid der ogen, en de grootsheid des levens, is niet uit den Vader, maar is uit de wereld.
17 The [godless people in] the world [MTY], along with what they desire, will disappear, but those who do what God wants [them to do] will live forever! You know that it is now the final period of this age when there are liars who deny that Jesus is God’s Chosen One. But you have the power of God’s Spirit and you know what is true and what is false. So continue to live according to the true message that you heard when you began to believe in Christ, in order that you may continue to live united both to God’s Son and to the Father. (aiōn g165)
En de wereld gaat voorbij, en haar begeerlijkheid; maar die den wil van God doet, blijft in der eeuwigheid. (aiōn g165)
18 [You who are very dear to me], it is [now] (the final part [MTY] [of this age/] final [period of time before Jesus returns]). Just like you heard [from us apostles] that a person who opposes Christ will come/appear, even now there are many people who oppose Christ. That is why we know that it is the final part [of this age] (OR, [before Jesus returns]) [MTY].
Kinderkens, het is de laatste ure; en gelijk gij gehoord hebt, dat de antichrist komt, zo zijn ook nu vele antichristen geworden; waaruit wij kennen, dat het de laatste ure is.
19 The [people who oppose Christ] refused to remain in our congregations, but they never [really] (belonged with us/were fellow believers). If they had (belonged with us/been fellow believers), they would have remained with us. But because [they left, everyone] can clearly know that none of them (belongs with us/is a fellow believer).
Zij zijn uit ons uitgegaan, maar zij waren uit ons niet; want indien zij uit ons geweest waren, zo zouden zij met ons gebleven zijn; maar dit is geschied, opdat zij zouden openbaar worden, dat zij niet allen uit ons zijn.
20 But as for you, you have been given the power of [God’s Spirit, which comes from Christ] (OR, [God]), the Holy One. [As a result], you all know [how to] ([distinguish false teaching from/recognize what is false teaching and what is]) [the true message].
Doch gij hebt de zalving van den Heilige, en gij weet alle dingen.
21 I am writing [this letter] to you, not because you do not know [what is God’s] true message, but because you do know [what it is]. You also know that no false message originates/comes from [God, who is the source of all] truth.
Ik heb u niet geschreven, omdat gij de waarheid niet weet, maar omdat gij die weet, en omdat geen leugen uit de waarheid is.
22 The [worst] liars are the ones who deny that Jesus is (the Messiah/the one whom God chose to rescue us). They are [the ones that we told you about], the ones who oppose Christ. They refuse to acknowledge/admit that [God is] the Father and that [Jesus is his] Son (OR, the one who is also God).
Wie is de leugenaar, dan die loochent, dat Jezus is de Christus? Deze is de antichrist, die den Vader en den Zoon loochent.
23 Those who refuse to acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son do not have a relationship with the Father. But those who acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son [not only have a relationship with God’s Son, but they] have a relationship with the Father also.
Een iegelijk, die den Zoon loochent, heeft ook den Vader niet.
24 [So], as for you, you must continue to conduct your lives according to [the true message] that you heard when you began [MTY] [to believe in Christ]. If you continue to [do that], you will continue to have a close relationship with both [God’s] Son and the Father.
Hetgeen gijlieden dan van den beginne gehoord hebt, dat blijve in u. Indien in u blijft, wat gij van den beginne gehoord hebt, zo zult gij ook in den Zoon en in den Vader blijven.
En dit is de belofte, die Hij ons beloofd heeft, namelijk het eeuwige leven. (aiōnios g166)
26 I have written this to you [to] ([warn you] about/tell you to beware of) those [who want to] deceive you [concerning the truth about Christ].
Dit heb ik u geschreven van degenen, die u verleiden.
27 As for you, God’s Spirit, whom you received from Christ, remains in you. So you do not need anyone to teach you [anything else that they claim/say is the truth]. God’s Spirit is teaching you all [of God’s truth that you need to know]. God’s Spirit is truthful and never says anything that is false. So continue to conduct your lives in the way that [he has] taught you.
En de zalving, die gijlieden van Hem ontvangen hebt, blijft in u, en gij hebt niet van node, dat iemand u lere; maar gelijk dezelfde zalving u leert van alle dingen, zo is zij ook waarachtig, en is geen leugen; en gelijk zij u geleerd heeft, zo zult gij in Hem blijven.
28 Now, [while some people are trying to persuade you to accept their false teaching, I urge] you, who are all very dear to me, to continue to [have a close relationship with] Christ. [We need to do that] in order that we may be confident [that he will accept us] when he comes back again. If we do that, we will not be ashamed [when we stand] before [him] when he comes.
En nu, kinderkens, blijft in Hem; opdat, wanneer Hij zal geopenbaard zijn, wij vrijmoedigheid hebben, en wij van Hem niet beschaamd gemaakt worden in Zijn toekomst.
29 Since you know that [Christ] always does what is right, you know that all those who continue doing what is right are the ones who have become children of God.
Indien gij weet, dat Hij rechtvaardig is, zo weet gij, dat een iegelijk, die de rechtvaardigheid doet, uit Hem geboren is.
