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1 John 3:11-4:21
Contemporary English Version
1 John 3:11-4:21
Contemporary English Version
Love Each Other
11 (A) From the beginning you were told we must love each other. 12 (B) Don't be like Cain, who belonged to the devil and murdered his own brother. Why did he murder him? He did it because his brother was good, and he was evil. 13 My friends, don't be surprised if the people of this world hate you. 14 (C) Our love for each other proves we have gone from death to life. But if you don't love each other, you are still under the power of death.
15 If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know murderers do not have eternal life. 16 We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. This is why we must give our lives for each other. 17 If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. 18 Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.
19 When we love others, we know we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. 20 But even if we don't feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. 22 He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him. 23 (D) God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. 24 If we obey God's commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit he has given us is proof that we are one with him.
God Is Love
4 Dear friends, don't believe everyone who claims to have the Spirit of God. Test them all to find out if they really do come from God. Many false prophets have already gone out into the world, 2 and you can know which ones come from God. His Spirit says that Jesus Christ had a truly human body. 3 But when someone doesn't say this about Jesus, you know this person has a spirit that doesn't come from God and is the enemy of Christ. You knew this enemy was coming into the world and now is already here.
4 Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit[a] is in you and is more powerful than the one who is in the world. 5 These enemies belong to this world, and the world listens to them, because they speak its language. 6 We belong to God, and everyone who knows God will listen to us. But the people who don't know God won't listen to us. This is how we can tell the Spirit that speaks the truth from the one that tells lies.
7 My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows we have been given new life. We are now God's children, and we know him. 8 God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him. 9 God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10 Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other.
12 (E) No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts.
13 God has given us his Spirit. This is how we know we are one with him, just as he is one with us. 14 God sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We saw his Son and are now telling others about him. 15 God stays one with everyone who openly says Jesus is the Son of God. This is how we stay one with God 16 and are sure God loves us.
God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us. 17 If we truly love others and live as Christ did in this world, we won't be worried about the day of judgment. 18 A real love for others will chase those worries away. The thought of being punished is what makes us afraid. It shows we have not really learned to love.
19 We love because God loved us first. 20 But if we say we love God and don't love each other, we are liars. We cannot see God. So how can we love God, if we don't love the people we can see? 21 The commandment that God has given us is: “Love God and love each other!”
Footnotes
- 4.4 God's Spirit: The Greek text has “he” and may refer to the Spirit or to God or to Jesus.
1 John 3:11-4:21
New International Version
1 John 3:11-4:21
New International Version
More on Love and Hatred
11 For this is the message you heard(A) from the beginning:(B) We should love one another.(C) 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one(D) and murdered his brother.(E) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.(F) 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you.(G) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life,(H) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.(I) 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister(J) is a murderer,(K) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.(L)
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.(M) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(N) 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,(O) how can the love of God be in that person?(P) 18 Dear children,(Q) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.(R)
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends,(S) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God(T) 22 and receive from him anything we ask,(U) because we keep his commands(V) and do what pleases him.(W) 23 And this is his command: to believe(X) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,(Y) and to love one another as he commanded us.(Z) 24 The one who keeps God’s commands(AA) lives in him,(AB) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.(AC)
On Denying the Incarnation
4 Dear friends,(AD) do not believe every spirit,(AE) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(AF) 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(AG) is from God,(AH) 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(AI) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(AJ)
4 You, dear children,(AK) are from God and have overcome them,(AL) because the one who is in you(AM) is greater than the one who is in the world.(AN) 5 They are from the world(AO) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(AP) This is how we recognize the Spirit[b] of truth(AQ) and the spirit of falsehood.(AR)
God’s Love and Ours
7 Dear friends, let us love one another,(AS) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(AT) and knows God.(AU) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(AV) 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(AW) into the world that we might live through him.(AX) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(AY) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(AZ) 11 Dear friends,(BA) since God so loved us,(BB) we also ought to love one another.(BC) 12 No one has ever seen God;(BD) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(BE)
13 This is how we know(BF) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(BG) 14 And we have seen and testify(BH) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(BI) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(BJ) God lives in them and they in God.(BK) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love.(BL) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(BM) 17 This is how love is made complete(BN) among us so that we will have confidence(BO) on the day of judgment:(BP) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(BQ) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.(BR) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(BS) is a liar.(BT) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(BU) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(BV) 21 And he has given us this command:(BW) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(BX)
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
- 1 John 4:6 Or spirit
1 John 3:11-4:21
King James Version
1 John 3:11-4:21
King James Version
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.