1 John 3

1 Think what love the Father has shown us in allowing us to be called ‘Children of God’; as indeed we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it has not learned to know him.

See what kind of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him.

2 Dear friends, we are God’s Children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is that, when it is revealed, we shall be like Christ; because we shall see him as he is.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. We know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.

3 And every one who has this hope with regard to Christ tries to make himself pure — as Christ is pure.

Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

4 Every one who lives sinfully is living in violation of Law. Sin is violation of Law.

Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

5 And you know that Christ appeared to take away our sins; and in him Sin has no place.

You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him is no sin.

6 No one who maintains union with him lives in sin; no one who lives in sin has ever really seen him or learned to know him.

Whoever remains in him does not sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.

7 My Children, do not let any one mislead you. He who lives righteously is righteous — as Christ is righteous.

Children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He who lives sinfully belongs to the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the first. It was for this that the Son of God appeared, that he might undo the Devil’s work.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

9 No one who has received the new Life from God lives sinfully, because the very nature of God dwells within him; and he cannot live in sin, because he has received the new Life from God.

Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 By this the Children of God are distinguished from the Children of the Devil — No one who lives unrighteously comes from God, and especially the man who does not love his Brother.

In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother.

11 For these are the Tidings that we heard from the first — that we are to love one another.

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

12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the Evil One and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? It was because his life was bad while his brother’s was good.

unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

13 Do not wonder, Brothers, if the world hates you.

Therefore do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed out of Death into Life, because we love our Brothers. The man who does not love remains in a state of Death.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love remains in death.

15 Every one who hates his Brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has Immortal Life within him. (aiōnios g166)

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

16 We have learned to know what love is from this — that Christ laid down his life on our behalf. Therefore we also ought to lay down our lives on behalf of our Brothers.

By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

17 But, if any one has worldly possessions, and yet looks on while his Brother is in want, and steels his heart against him, how can it be said that the love of God is within him?

But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him?

18 My children, do not let our love be mere words, or end in talk; let it be true and show itself in acts.

Little children, let us not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

19 By that we shall know that we are on the side of the Truth; and we shall satisfy ourselves in God’s sight,

And by this we will know that we are of the truth, and persuade our heart before him,

20 that if our conscience condemns us, yet God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.

because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

21 Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, then we approach God with confidence,

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

22 and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we are laying his commands to heart, and are doing what is pleasing in his sight.

and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 His Command is this — that we should put our trust in the Name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, in accordance with the Command that he gave us.

This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded us.

24 And he who lays his commands to heart maintains union with Christ, and Christ with him. And by this we know that Christ maintains union with us — by our possession of the Spirit which he gave us.

He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.