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Promises of Peace and Prosperity

33 While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message: “This is what the Lord says—the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: You have torn down the houses of this city and even the king’s palace to get materials to strengthen the walls against the siege ramps and swords of the enemy. You expect to fight the Babylonians,[a] but the men of this city are already as good as dead, for I have determined to destroy them in my terrible anger. I have abandoned them because of all their wickedness.

“Nevertheless, the time will come when I will heal Jerusalem’s wounds and give it prosperity and true peace. I will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel and rebuild their towns. I will cleanse them of their sins against me and forgive all their sins of rebellion. Then this city will bring me joy, glory, and honor before all the nations of the earth! The people of the world will see all the good I do for my people, and they will tremble with awe at the peace and prosperity I provide for them.

10 “This is what the Lord says: You have said, ‘This is a desolate land where people and animals have all disappeared.’ Yet in the empty streets of Jerusalem and Judah’s other towns, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and laughter. The joyful voices of bridegrooms and brides will be heard again, along with the joyous songs of people bringing thanksgiving offerings to the Lord. They will sing,

‘Give thanks to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,
    for the Lord is good.
    His faithful love endures forever!’

For I will restore the prosperity of this land to what it was in the past, says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: This land—though it is now desolate and has no people and animals—will once more have pastures where shepherds can lead their flocks. 13 Once again shepherds will count their flocks in the towns of the hill country, the foothills of Judah,[b] the Negev, the land of Benjamin, the vicinity of Jerusalem, and all the towns of Judah. I, the Lord, have spoken!

14 “The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

15 “In those days and at that time
    I will raise up a righteous descendant[c] from King David’s line.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’[d]

17 For this is what the Lord says: David will have a descendant sitting on the throne of Israel forever. 18 And there will always be Levitical priests to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings and sacrifices to me.”

19 Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 20 “This is what the Lord says: If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, 21 only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken. Only then will he no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne. The same is true for my covenant with the Levitical priests who minister before me. 22 And as the stars of the sky cannot be counted and the sand on the seashore cannot be measured, so I will multiply the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister before me.”

23 The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 24 “Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’ They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation. 25 But this is what the Lord says: I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky. 26 I will never abandon the descendants of Jacob or David, my servant, or change the plan that David’s descendants will rule the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, I will restore them to their land and have mercy on them.”

A Warning for Zedekiah

34 King Nebuchadnezzar[e] of Babylon came with all the armies from the kingdoms he ruled, and he fought against Jerusalem and the towns of Judah. At that time this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Go to King Zedekiah of Judah, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. You will not escape his grasp but will be captured and taken to meet the king of Babylon face to face. Then you will be exiled to Babylon.

“‘But listen to this promise from the Lord, O Zedekiah, king of Judah. This is what the Lord says: You will not be killed in war but will die peacefully. People will burn incense in your memory, just as they did for your ancestors, the kings who preceded you. They will mourn for you, crying, “Alas, our master is dead!” This I have decreed, says the Lord.’”

So Jeremiah the prophet delivered the message to King Zedekiah of Judah. At this time the Babylonian army was besieging Jerusalem, Lachish, and Azekah—the only fortified cities of Judah not yet captured.

Freedom for Hebrew Slaves

This message came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people, proclaiming freedom for the slaves. He had ordered all the people to free their Hebrew slaves—both men and women. No one was to keep a fellow Judean in bondage. 10 The officials and all the people had obeyed the king’s command, 11 but later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed, forcing them to be slaves again.

12 So the Lord gave them this message through Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors long ago when I rescued them from their slavery in Egypt. 14 I told them that every Hebrew slave must be freed after serving six years. But your ancestors paid no attention to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what was right, following my command. You freed your slaves and made a solemn covenant with me in the Temple that bears my name. 16 But now you have shrugged off your oath and defiled my name by taking back the men and women you had freed, forcing them to be slaves once again.

17 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: Since you have not obeyed me by setting your countrymen free, I will set you free to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. You will be an object of horror to all the nations of the earth. 18 Because you have broken the terms of our covenant, I will cut you apart just as you cut apart the calf when you walked between its halves to solemnize your vows. 19 Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath. 20 I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.

21 “I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials to the army of the king of Babylon. And although they have left Jerusalem for a while, 22 I will call the Babylonian armies back again. They will fight against this city and will capture it and burn it down. I will see to it that all the towns of Judah are destroyed, with no one living there.”

Footnotes

  1. 33:5 Or Chaldeans.
  2. 33:13 Hebrew the Shephelah.
  3. 33:15 Hebrew a righteous branch.
  4. 33:16 Hebrew Yahweh Tsidqenu.
  5. 34:1 Hebrew Nebuchadrezzar, a variant spelling of Nebuchadnezzar.

Restoration Promised

33 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still (A)confined in the courtyard of the guard, saying, “This is what (B)the Lord says, He who made [a]the earth, the Lord who formed it to create it, He whose name is the (C)Lord: (D)Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you (E)great and [b]mighty things, (F)which you do not know.’ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says concerning the (G)houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah which have been torn down to make a defense against the (H)assault ramps and the sword: ‘While they are coming to (I)fight the Chaldeans and to fill [c]their houses with the bodies of people whom I have struck down in My anger and My wrath, and I have (J)hidden My face from this city because of all their wickedness: Behold, I am going to bring to it (K)healing and a remedy, and I will heal them; and I will reveal to them an (L)abundance of peace and truth. And I will (M)restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and will (N)rebuild them as they were at first. And I will (O)cleanse them from all their wrongdoing by which they have sinned against Me, and I will forgive all their wrongdoings by which they have sinned against Me and revolted against Me. [d]It will be to Me a (P)name of joy, praise, and glory before (Q)all the nations of the earth, which will hear of all the (R)good that I do for them, and they will be (S)frightened and tremble because of all the good and all the peace that I make for it.’

10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Yet again there will be heard in this place, of which you say, “It is a (T)waste, without man and without animal,” that is, in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are (U)deserted, without man and without inhabitant and without animal, 11 the voice of (V)joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the groom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who say,

(W)Give thanks to the Lord of armies,
For the Lord is good,
For His mercy is everlasting,”

as they bring a (X)thanksgiving offering into the house of the Lord. For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were at first,’ says the Lord.

12 “This is what the Lord of armies says: ‘There will again be in this place which is waste, (Y)without man or animal, and in all its cities, a pasture for shepherds who rest their (Z)flocks. 13 In the (AA)cities of the hill country, in the cities of the lowland, in the cities of the Negev, in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, the flocks will again (AB)pass under the hands of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.

The Davidic Kingdom

14 ‘Behold, (AC)days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will (AD)fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will make a (AE)righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute (AF)justice and righteousness on the earth. 16 In those days (AG)Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety; and this is the name by which it will be called: the (AH)Lord is our righteousness.’ 17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘[e]David shall (AI)not lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 [f]and the (AJ)Levitical priests shall not lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to (AK)prepare sacrifices [g]continually.’”

19 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can (AL)break My covenant for the day and My covenant for the night, so that day and night do not occur at their proper time, 21 then (AM)My covenant with David My servant may also be broken, so that he will not have a son to reign on his throne, and with the Levitical priests, My ministers. 22 As the (AN)heavenly [h]lights cannot be counted, and the (AO)sand of the sea cannot be measured, so I will (AP)multiply the [i]descendants of My servant David and the (AQ)Levites who serve Me.’”

23 And the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 24 “Have you not observed what these people have asserted, saying, ‘The (AR)two families which the Lord chose, He has (AS)rejected them’? So they (AT)despise My people as no longer being a nation [j]in their sight. 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If My (AU)covenant for day and night does not continue, and I have (AV)not established the [k]fixed patterns of heaven and earth, 26 then I would (AW)reject the [l]descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so as not to take from his [m]descendants (AX)rulers over the [n]descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But I will (AY)restore their fortunes and have (AZ)mercy on them.’”

A Prophecy against Zedekiah

34 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when (BA)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with (BB)all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his [o]control and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and all its cities, saying, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘(BC)Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, (BD)I am handing this city over to the king of Babylon, and (BE)he will burn it with fire. And as for you, (BF)you will not escape from his hand, for you will assuredly be caught and handed over to him; and you will (BG)see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you [p]face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’ Yet hear the word of the Lord, Zedekiah king of Judah! This is what the Lord says concerning you: ‘You will not die by the sword. You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will (BH)burn spices for you; and (BI)they will mourn for you, crying, “Oh, my lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares the Lord.

Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke (BJ)all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, (BK)Lachish and (BL)Azekah, for they alone remained as (BM)fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had (BN)made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, to (BO)proclaim [q]release to them: that each person was to set his male servant free and each his female servant, a (BP)Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, so that (BQ)no one would keep them, his Jewish brother or sister, in bondage. 10 And all the (BR)officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each person was to set his male servant free and each his female servant, so that no one would keep them in bondage any longer; they obeyed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male servants and as female servants.

12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘I (BS)made a covenant with your forefathers on the day that I (BT)brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, 14 (BU)At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who [r]has been sold to you and has served you for six years, and you shall send him out free from you.” But your forefathers (BV)did not obey Me nor incline their ear to Me. 15 Although recently you had turned and (BW)done what is right in My sight, each one proclaiming [s]release to his neighbor, and you had (BX)made a covenant before Me (BY)in the house which is called by My name. 16 Yet you (BZ)turned and (CA)profaned My name, and each person [t]took back his male servant and each his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male and female servants.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming [u]release, each one to his brother and each to his neighbor. Behold, I am (CB)proclaiming a [v]release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the (CC)sword, to the plague, and to the famine; and I will make you a (CD)terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 I will give the people who have (CE)violated My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they (CF)cut the calf in two and passed between its parts— 19 the (CG)officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the high officials and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20 I will hand them over to their enemies and to those who (CH)seek their lives. And their (CI)dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth. 21 (CJ)Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will also hand over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives, and to the army of the king of Babylon which has (CK)withdrawn from you. 22 Behold, I am going to give a command,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it and (CL)take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a (CM)desolation (CN)without inhabitant.’”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 33:2 Lit it
  2. Jeremiah 33:3 Or incomprehensible
  3. Jeremiah 33:5 Lit them
  4. Jeremiah 33:9 I.e., This city
  5. Jeremiah 33:17 Lit There shall not be cut off for David
  6. Jeremiah 33:18 Lit there shall not be cut off for the Levitical priests
  7. Jeremiah 33:18 Lit all the days
  8. Jeremiah 33:22 Lit host; i.e., sun, stars, etc.
  9. Jeremiah 33:22 Lit seed
  10. Jeremiah 33:24 Lit to their faces
  11. Jeremiah 33:25 Lit statutes
  12. Jeremiah 33:26 Lit seed
  13. Jeremiah 33:26 Lit seed
  14. Jeremiah 33:26 Lit seed
  15. Jeremiah 34:1 Lit dominion
  16. Jeremiah 34:3 Lit his mouth with your mouth
  17. Jeremiah 34:8 Or liberty
  18. Jeremiah 34:14 Or has sold himself
  19. Jeremiah 34:15 Or liberty
  20. Jeremiah 34:16 Lit made his male servant return and
  21. Jeremiah 34:17 Or liberty
  22. Jeremiah 34:17 Or liberty

Psalm 74

A psalm[a] of Asaph.

O God, why have you rejected us so long?
    Why is your anger so intense against the sheep of your own pasture?
Remember that we are the people you chose long ago,
    the tribe you redeemed as your own special possession!
    And remember Jerusalem,[b] your home here on earth.
Walk through the awful ruins of the city;
    see how the enemy has destroyed your sanctuary.

There your enemies shouted their victorious battle cries;
    there they set up their battle standards.
They swung their axes
    like woodcutters in a forest.
With axes and picks,
    they smashed the carved paneling.
They burned your sanctuary to the ground.
    They defiled the place that bears your name.
Then they thought, “Let’s destroy everything!”
    So they burned down all the places where God was worshiped.

We no longer see your miraculous signs.
    All the prophets are gone,
    and no one can tell us when it will end.
10 How long, O God, will you allow our enemies to insult you?
    Will you let them dishonor your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your strong right hand?
    Unleash your powerful fist and destroy them.

12 You, O God, are my king from ages past,
    bringing salvation to the earth.
13 You split the sea by your strength
    and smashed the heads of the sea monsters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan[c]
    and let the desert animals eat him.
15 You caused the springs and streams to gush forth,
    and you dried up rivers that never run dry.
16 Both day and night belong to you;
    you made the starlight[d] and the sun.
17 You set the boundaries of the earth,
    and you made both summer and winter.

18 See how these enemies insult you, Lord.
    A foolish nation has dishonored your name.
19 Don’t let these wild beasts destroy your turtledoves.
    Don’t forget your suffering people forever.

20 Remember your covenant promises,
    for the land is full of darkness and violence!
21 Don’t let the downtrodden be humiliated again.
    Instead, let the poor and needy praise your name.

22 Arise, O God, and defend your cause.
    Remember how these fools insult you all day long.
23 Don’t overlook what your enemies have said
    or their growing uproar.

Footnotes

  1. 74:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
  2. 74:2 Hebrew Mount Zion.
  3. 74:14 The identification of Leviathan is disputed, ranging from an earthly creature to a mythical sea monster in ancient literature.
  4. 74:16 Or moon; Hebrew reads light.

An Appeal against the Devastation of the Land by the Enemy.

A [a]Maskil of Asaph.

74 God, why have You (A)rejected us forever?
Why does Your anger (B)smoke against the (C)sheep of Your [b]pasture?
Remember Your congregation, which You (D)purchased of old,
Which You have (E)redeemed to be the (F)tribe of Your inheritance;
And this Mount (G)Zion, where You have dwelt.
[c]Step toward the [d](H)irreparable ruins;
The enemy (I)has damaged everything in the sanctuary.
Your adversaries have (J)roared in the midst of Your meeting place;
They have set up their (K)own signs as (L)signs.
It [e]seems like one bringing up
His (M)axe into a [f]forest of trees.
And now they break down [g]all its (N)carved work
With axe and hammers.
They have [h](O)burned Your sanctuary [i]to the ground;
They have (P)defiled the dwelling place of Your name.
They (Q)said in their heart, “Let’s [j]completely [k]subdue them.”
They have burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
We do not see our (R)signs;
There is (S)no longer any prophet,
Nor is there anyone among us who knows (T)how long.
10 How long, God, will the enemy (U)taunt You?
Shall the enemy (V)treat Your name disrespectfully forever?
11 Why (W)do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand?
Extend it from Your chest and (X)destroy them!

12 Yet God is (Y)my King from long ago,
Who performs acts of salvation in the midst of the earth.
13 [l]You (Z)divided the sea by Your strength;
[m]You (AA)broke the heads of the (AB)sea monsters [n]in the waters.
14 [o]You crushed the heads of [p](AC)Leviathan;
You gave him as food for the [q]creatures (AD)of the wilderness.
15 [r]You (AE)broke open springs and torrents;
[s]You (AF)dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, Yours also is the night;
[t]You have (AG)prepared the [u]light and the sun.
17 [v]You have (AH)established all the boundaries of the earth;
[w]You have [x]created (AI)summer and winter.

18 Remember this, [y]Lord, that the enemy has (AJ)taunted You,
And a (AK)foolish people has treated Your name disrespectfully.
19 Do not give the soul of Your (AL)turtledove to the wild animal;
(AM)Do not forget the life of Your afflicted forever.
20 Consider the (AN)covenant;
For the (AO)dark places of the land are full of the places of violence.
21 May the (AP)oppressed person not return dishonored;
May the (AQ)afflicted and the needy praise Your name.

22 Arise, God, and (AR)plead Your own cause;
Remember [z]how the (AS)foolish person taunts You all day long.
23 Do not forget the voice of Your (AT)adversaries,
The (AU)uproar of those who rise against You, which ascends continually.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 74 Title Possibly, Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful Psalm
  2. Psalm 74:1 Or pasturing
  3. Psalm 74:3 Lit Lift Your footsteps
  4. Psalm 74:3 Lit ruins ruined for all time
  5. Psalm 74:5 Lit is known as
  6. Psalm 74:5 Lit thicket
  7. Psalm 74:6 Lit altogether
  8. Psalm 74:7 Lit set on fire
  9. Psalm 74:7 Or To the ground they...
  10. Psalm 74:8 Lit altogether
  11. Psalm 74:8 Or oppress
  12. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  13. Psalm 74:13 Or You Yourself
  14. Psalm 74:13 Lit on
  15. Psalm 74:14 Or You Yourself
  16. Psalm 74:14 Or sea monster
  17. Psalm 74:14 Lit people
  18. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  19. Psalm 74:15 Or You Yourself
  20. Psalm 74:16 Or You Yourself
  21. Psalm 74:16 Or luminary
  22. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  23. Psalm 74:17 Or You Yourself
  24. Psalm 74:17 Or formed
  25. Psalm 74:18 Or that the enemy has taunted the Lord
  26. Psalm 74:22 Lit Your reproach from the foolish man

Faith in the Son of God

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ[a] has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too. We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments. Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome. For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith. And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross[b]—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. So we have these three witnesses[c] the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son. 10 All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.

11 And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

Conclusion

13 I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 14 And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 15 And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

16 If you see a fellow believer[d] sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. 17 All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

18 We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.[e] And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.[f]

Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Or the Messiah.
  2. 5:6 Greek This is he who came by water and blood.
  3. 5:7 A few very late manuscripts add in heaven—the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And we have three witnesses on earth.
  4. 5:16 Greek a brother.
  5. 5:20 Greek the one who is true.
  6. 5:21 Greek keep yourselves from idols.

Overcoming the World

(A)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ has been (B)born of God, and everyone who loves the [b]Father (C)loves the child born of Him. (D)By this we know that (E)we love the children of God, when we love God and [c]follow His commandments. For (F)this is the love of God, that we (G)keep His commandments; and (H)His commandments are not burdensome. For [d]whoever has been (I)born of God (J)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who (K)believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One who came (L)by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [e]with the water only, but [f]with the water and [g]with the blood. It is (M)the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are (N)three that testify: [h]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [i]in agreement. (O)If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that (P)He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God (Q)has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has (R)made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (S)eternal life, and (T)this life is in His Son. 12 (U)The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

This Is Written That You May Know

13 (V)These things I have written to you who (W)believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (X)eternal life. 14 This is (Y)the confidence which we have [j]before Him, that, (Z)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (AA)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother or sister [k]committing a sin not leading to death, (AB)he shall ask and [l]God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (AC)There is sin leading to death; (AD)I am not saying that he should ask about that. 17 (AE)All unrighteousness is sin, and (AF)there is sin not leading to death.

18 (AG)We know that (AH)no one who has been born of God [m]sins; but He who was born of God (AI)keeps him, and (AJ)the evil one does not (AK)touch him. 19 (AL)We know that (AM)we are of God, and that (AN)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And (AO)we know that (AP)the Son of God has come, and has (AQ)given us understanding so that we may know (AR)Him who is true; and we (AS)are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (AT)This is the true God and (AU)eternal life.

21 (AV)Little children, guard yourselves from (AW)idols.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:1 I.e., Messiah
  2. 1 John 5:1 Lit one who has fathered
  3. 1 John 5:2 Lit do
  4. 1 John 5:4 Lit everything that
  5. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  6. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  7. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  8. 1 John 5:8 A few late mss add ...in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit
  9. 1 John 5:8 Lit for the one thing
  10. 1 John 5:14 Lit toward
  11. 1 John 5:16 Lit sinning
  12. 1 John 5:16 Or God will give him life, that is, to those who...
  13. 1 John 5:18 Or sins continually