1 John 3:11-18
New American Standard Bible
11 (A)For this is the message (B)which you have heard from the beginning, (C)that we are to love one another; 12 not as (D)Cain, who was of (E)the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because (F)his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if (G)the world hates you. 14 We know that we have (H)passed out of death into life, (I)because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who (J)hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that (K)no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 We know love by this, that (L)He laid down His life for us; and (M)we ought to lay down our lives for the (N)brothers and sisters. 17 But (O)whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and (P)closes his [a]heart [b]against him, (Q)how does the love of God remain in him? 18 (R)Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and (S)truth.
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1 John 3:11-18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Love One Another
11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.(A) 12 We must not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you.(B) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.(C) 15 All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.(D) 16 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.(E) 17 How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?(F)
18 Little children, let us love not in word or speech but in deed and truth.(G)
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1 John 3:11-18
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
11 For this is the declaration, which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and killed his brother. And wherefore did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked: and his brother's just.
13 Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not, abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself.
16 In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 He that hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth.
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1 John 3:11-20
The Message
11 For this is the original message we heard: We should love each other.
12-13 We must not be like Cain, who joined the Evil One and then killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because he was deep in the practice of evil, while the acts of his brother were righteous. So don’t be surprised, friends, when the world hates you. This has been going on a long time.
14-15 The way we know we’ve been transferred from death to life is that we love our brothers and sisters. Anyone who doesn’t love is as good as dead. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.
16-17 This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
When We Practice Real Love
18-20 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves.
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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