Add parallel Print Page Options

Children of God, Love One Another

See [a](A)how great a love the Father has given to us, that we would be called (B)children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because (C)it did not know Him. (D)Beloved, now we are (E)children of God, and (F)it has not been manifested as yet what we will be. We know that when He (G)is manifested, we will be (H)like Him, because we will (I)see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this (J)hope fixed on Him (K)purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Everyone who does sin also does lawlessness; and (L)sin is lawlessness. And you know that He (M)was manifested in order to (N)take away sins, and (O)in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him (P)sins; no one who sins has seen Him or [b](Q)has come to know Him. (R)Little children, let no one (S)deceive you. (T)The one who does righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. The one who does sin is (U)of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning. (V)The Son of God (W)was manifested for this purpose, (X)to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who has been [c](Y)born of God (Z)does not sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been [d]born of God. 10 By this the (AA)children of God and the (AB)children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who (AC)does not love his (AD)brother.

11 (AE)For this is the message (AF)which you have heard from the beginning, (AG)that we should love one another; 12 not as (AH)Cain, who was of (AI)the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because (AJ)his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

13 Do not marvel, brothers, if (AK)the world hates you. 14 We know that we have (AL)passed out of death into life, (AM)because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who (AN)hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that (AO)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we have known love, that (AP)He laid down His life for us; and (AQ)we ought to lay down our lives for the (AR)brothers. 17 But (AS)whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and (AT)closes his [e]heart [f]against him, (AU)how does the love of God abide in him? 18 (AV)Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and (AW)truth. 19 And by this we will know that we are (AX)of the truth, and will [g]assure our heart before Him 20 [h]in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. 21 (AY)Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have (AZ)confidence [i]before God; 22 and (BA)whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we (BB)keep His commandments and do (BC)the things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 And this is His commandment, that we [j](BD)believe in (BE)the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as (BF)He gave a commandment to us. 24 And the one who (BG)keeps His commandments (BH)abides in Him, and He in him. (BI)We know by this that (BJ)He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He gave us.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:1 Lit what kind of love
  2. 1 John 3:6 Or has known
  3. 1 John 3:9 Or begotten
  4. 1 John 3:9 Or begotten
  5. 1 John 3:17 Lit inward parts
  6. 1 John 3:17 Lit from
  7. 1 John 3:19 Lit persuade
  8. 1 John 3:20 Or that if our heart condemns us, that God...
  9. 1 John 3:21 Lit toward
  10. 1 John 3:23 Or believe the name

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. 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) And everyone who has this hope(D) in him purifies himself just as he is pure.(E)

Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins,[c](F) and there is no sin in him.(G) Everyone who remains in him(H) does not sin;[d](I) everyone who sins[e] has not seen him or known him.

Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 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. 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.

Footnotes

  1. 3:1 Or what sort of love
  2. 3:2 Or when it appears
  3. 3:5 Other mss read our sins
  4. 3:6 Or not keep on sinning
  5. 3:6 Or who keeps on sinning
  6. 3:8 Or practices
  7. 3:9 Or not practice sin
  8. 3:9 Or to keep on sinning
  9. 3:17 Lit sees his brother or sister