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].
Meine Kinder, dies schreibe ich euch, damit ihr nicht sündigt. Und wenn einer trotzdem gesündigt hätte, dann ist uns Jesus Christus, der Gerechte, Fürsprecher beim Vater.
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!
Er ist die Sühne für unsere Sünden, und nicht nur für die unsrigen allein, nein, auch für die ganze Welt.
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].
Das ist ja der Beweis, daß wir ihn erkannt haben, wenn wir seine Gebote halten.
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.
Wer sagt: "Ich kenne ihn", doch seine Gebote nicht hält, der ist ein Lügner; in einem solchen ist die Wahrheit nicht.
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:
Doch wer sein Wort hält, in dem ist wahrhaft Gottes Liebe vollendet; dies ist auch das Zeichen, daß wir in ihm sind.
6 If we say that we are living as God wants us to, we should [conduct our lives] as Christ [did].
Wer sagt: "Ich bleibe in ihm", dem ist es heilige Pflicht, gerade so zu wandeln, wie auch er gewandelt ist.
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.
Geliebteste! Kein neues Gebot ist es, was ich euch schreibe, sondern ein altes, und ihr hattet es von Anfang an: Das Wort, das ihr vernommen habt, ist dieses alte Gebot.
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.
Und doch ist es auch ein neues Gebot, was ich euch schreibe, wahr in ihm und in euch: Die Finsternis geht vorüber; es leuchtet schon das wahre Licht.
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.
Wer sagt, er sei im Lichte, doch seinen Bruder haßt, der ist noch immer in der Finsternis.
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].
Wer aber seinen Bruder liebt, der bleibt im Licht ohne Anstoß.
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].
Jedoch, wer seinen Bruder haßt, der ist noch immer in der Finsternis; er wandelt in der Finsternis und weiß nicht, wohin er geht; denn die Finsternis hat ihm die Augen verdunkelt.
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].
Ich schreibe euch, ihr Kinder: Euch sind die Sünden nachgelassen um seines Namens willen.
Ich schreibe euch, ihr Väter: Ihr habt ja den erkannt, der von Anfang ist. Ich schreibe euch, ihr Jünglinge: Ihr habt den Bösen überwunden.
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].
Ich habe euch geschrieben, ihr Kinder; denn ihr versteht den Vater. Ich habe euch geschrieben, ihr Väter; denn ihr habt den erkannt, der von Anfang ist. Ich habe euch geschrieben, ihr Jünglinge; denn ihr seid stark, und Gottes Wort wohnt in euch; ihr habt den Bösen überwunden.
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].
Liebt nicht die Welt, noch was sich in der Welt befindet. Wenn jemand die Welt liebt, ist die Liebe des Vaters nicht in ihm.
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]!
Denn alles, was in der Welt sich findet: Lust des Fleisches, Lust der Augen, Hoffart des Lebens, kommt nicht vom Vater her, vielmehr kommt es von der Welt.
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)
Allein, die Welt vergeht samt ihrer Lust; wer aber den Willen Gottes tut, bleibt in Ewigkeit. (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].
Kinder, es ist die letzte Stunde: Ihr habt gehört: Es kommt der Antichrist. Jetzt sind schon viele Antichristi aufgestanden. Daran mögen wir erkennen, daß es letzte Stunde ist.
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).
Aus unseren Reihen sind sie ausgegangen; doch sie gehörten nicht zu uns. Denn hätten sie zu uns gehört, so wären sie bei uns geblieben. Allein, es sollte an ihnen sich klar zeigen, daß nicht alle zu uns gehören.
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].
Ihr aber habt die Salbung von dem Heiligen, und ihr alle wisset es.
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.
Ich schreibe euch nicht deshalb, weil ihr die Wahrheit nicht erkennet, sondern weil ihr sie kennet und wisset, daß aus der Wahrheit niemals Lüge kommt.
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).
Wer anders aber ist der Lügner, wenn nicht der, der leugnet, daß Jesus der Christus ist? Das ist der Antichrist, der den Vater samt dem Sohne leugnet.
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.
Denn wer den Sohn leugnet, der hat auch nicht den Vater. Nur wer den Sohn bekennt, hat auch den Vater.
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.
Was ihr von Anfang an vernommen habt, das soll in euch bleiben. Wenn in euch bleibt, was ihr von Anfang an vernommen habt, dann bleibt auch ihr im Sohn und im Vater.
So heißt ja die Verheißung, die er selber uns gegeben hat: das ewige Leben. (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].
Soviel wollte ich euch über jene schreiben, die euch zu verführen suchen.
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.
In euch hingegen bleibt die Stellung, die ihr von ihm empfangen habt; ihr habt nicht nötig, daß euch jemand belehre. Also, wie seine Salbung euch über alles aufgeklärt hat, so ist es wahr, und keine Lüge gibt es. Bleibt so in ihm, wie er es euch gelehrt hat.
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.
Und jetzt, o Kinder, bleibt in ihm! Damit wir, wenn er erscheint, von froher Zuversicht erfüllt sind und bei seiner Ankunft nicht mit Beschämung von ihm zu weichen brauchen.
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.
Ihr wißt, daß er gerecht ist, so wisset ihr auch, daß jeder, der Gerechtigkeit tut, aus ihm geboren ist.
