1 John 3
Christian Standard Bible
3 See what great love[a] the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed.(A) We know that when he appears,[b] we will be like him(B) because we will see him as he is.(C) 3 And everyone who has this hope(D) in him purifies himself just as he is pure.(E)
4 Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins,[c](F) and there is no sin in him.(G) 6 Everyone who remains in him(H) does not sin;[d](I) everyone who sins[e] has not seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who commits[f] sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God(J) was revealed(K) for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God(L) does not sin,[g] because his seed(M) remains in him; he is not able to sin,[h] because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.(N)
Love in Action
11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain,(O) who was of the evil one(P) and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates(Q) you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death.(R) 15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister(S) is a murderer,(T) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life(U) for us.(V) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(W) 17 If anyone has this world’s goods(X) and sees a fellow believer[i] in need(Y) but withholds compassion(Z) from him—how does God’s love reside in him?(AA) 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.(AB)
19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth(AC) and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.(AD)
21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands(AE) and do what is pleasing in his sight. 23 Now this is his command: that we believe in the name(AF) of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps his commands remains in him,(AG) and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us(AH) is from the Spirit(AI) he has given us.
1 John 3
New American Standard Bible
Children of God Love One Another
3 See [a](A)how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called (B)children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because (C)it did not know Him. 2 (D)Beloved, now we are (E)children of God, and (F)it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He (G)appears, we will be (H)like Him, because we will (I)see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this (J)hope set on Him (K)purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and (L)sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He (M)appeared in order to (N)take away sins; and (O)in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him (P)sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or [b](Q)knows Him. 7 (R)Little children, make sure no one (S)deceives you; (T)the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is (U)of the devil; for the devil [c]has been sinning from the beginning. (V)The Son of God (W)appeared for this purpose, (X)to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who has been (Y)born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the (Z)children of God and the (AA)children of the devil are obvious: [d]anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who (AB)does not love his (AC)brother and sister.
11 (AD)For this is the message (AE)which you have heard from the beginning, (AF)that we are to love one another; 12 not as (AG)Cain, who was of (AH)the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because (AI)his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if (AJ)the world hates you. 14 We know that we have (AK)passed out of death into life, (AL)because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who (AM)hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that (AN)no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 We know love by this, that (AO)He laid down His life for us; and (AP)we ought to lay down our lives for the (AQ)brothers and sisters. 17 But (AR)whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and (AS)closes his [e]heart [f]against him, (AT)how does the love of God remain in him? 18 (AU)Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and (AV)truth. 19 We will know by this that we are (AW)of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him, 20 that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things. 21 (AX)Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have (AY)confidence [g]before God; 22 and (AZ)whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we (BA)keep His commandments and do (BB)the things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 This is His commandment, that we [h](BC)believe in (BD)the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as (BE)He [i]commanded us. 24 The one who (BF)keeps His commandments (BG)remains in Him, and He in him. (BH)We know by this that (BI)He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:1 Lit what kind of love
- 1 John 3:6 Or has known
- 1 John 3:8 Lit sins
- 1 John 3:10 Lit everyone
- 1 John 3:17 Lit inward parts
- 1 John 3:17 Lit from
- 1 John 3:21 Lit toward
- 1 John 3:23 Or believe the name
- 1 John 3:23 Lit gave us a commandment
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
