Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered by God, and everyone who loves the father[a] also loves the child fathered by him. By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, because everyone who is fathered by God conquers the world.

God Has Given Us Eternal Life in the Son

And this is the victory which has conquered the world: our faith. Now who is the one who conquers the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify,[b] the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are in agreement[c].

If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. 10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.) 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Our Assurance of Eternal Life

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.

14 And this is the confidence that we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. 16 If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he should ask, and he will grant life to him, to those who sin not leading to death. (There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should ask about that. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.)

18 We know that everyone who is fathered by God does not sin, but the one fathered by God, he protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, in order that we may know the one who is true, and we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:1 Literally “the one who fathers”
  2. 1 John 5:7 Later Latin manuscripts add the following words to v. 7 and v. 8: “in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth”
  3. 1 John 5:8 Literally “for the one”

Everyone pas who ho believes pisteuō that hoti Jesus Iēsous is eimi the ho Christ Christos has been born gennaō of ek · ho God theos, and kai everyone pas who ho loves agapaō the ho father gennaō loves agapaō · kai · ho his autos child gennaō. By en this houtos we know ginōskō that hoti we love agapaō the ho children teknon of ho God theos: whenever hotan we love agapaō · ho God theos and kai obey poieō · ho his autos commandments entolē. For gar this houtos is eimi the ho love agapē of ho God theos: that hina we keep tēreō · ho his autos commandments entolē. And kai · ho his autos commandments entolē are eimi not ou burdensome barys, because hoti everyone pas who ho has been born gennaō of ek · ho God theos conquers nikaō the ho world kosmos. And kai this houtos is eimi the ho victorious power nikē that ho has conquered nikaō the ho world kosmos · ho our hēmeis faith pistis. Who tis · de is eimi it that ho conquers nikaō the ho world kosmos, but ei mē the ho one who believes pisteuō that hoti Jesus Iēsous is eimi the ho Son hyios of ho God theos?

This houtos is eimi the ho one who came erchomai by dia water hydōr and kai blood haima Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos; not ou by en · ho water hydōr only monon but alla by en · ho water hydōr and kai · ho blood haima. And kai the ho Spirit pneuma is eimi the ho one who testifies martyreō, because hoti the ho Spirit pneuma is eimi the ho truth alētheia. For hoti there are eimi three treis that ho testify martyreō: the ho Spirit pneuma and kai the ho water hydōr and kai the ho blood haima; and kai the ho three treis are eimi in eis · ho accord heis. If ei we receive lambanō the ho testimony martyria of ho men anthrōpos, the ho testimony martyria of ho God theos is eimi greater megas, because hoti this houtos is eimi the ho testimony martyria of ho God theos that hoti he has borne martyreō concerning peri · ho his autos Son hyios. 10 The ho one who believes pisteuō in eis the ho Son hyios of ho God theos has echō the ho testimony martyria in en himself heautou; the ho one who does not believe pisteuō · ho God theos has made poieō him autos out to be a liar pseustēs, because hoti he has not ou believed pisteuō in eis the ho testimony martyria that hos God theos has borne martyreō · ho concerning peri · ho his autos Son hyios. 11 And kai this houtos is eimi the ho testimony martyria: God theos gave didōmi us hēmeis eternal aiōnios life zōē, · ho and kai this houtos · ho life zōē is eimi in en · ho his autos Son hyios. 12 The ho one who has echō the ho Son hyios has echō · ho life zōē; the ho one who does not have echō the ho Son hyios of ho God theos does echō not ou have echō · ho life zōē.

13 I am writing graphō these things houtos to you hymeis so that hina you may know oida that hoti you have echō eternal aiōnios life zōē—you who ho believe pisteuō in eis the ho name onoma of the ho Son hyios of ho God theos. 14 And kai this houtos is eimi the ho confidence parrēsia we have echō as we approach pros him autos: that hoti if ean we ask aiteō anything tis according to kata · ho his autos will thelēma, he hears akouō us hēmeis. 15 And kai if ean we know oida that hoti he hears akouō us hēmeis regarding whatever hos we ask aiteō, we know oida that hoti we have echō the ho requests aitēma that hos we have asked aiteō of apo him autos. 16 If ean someone tis sees · ho his autos brother adelphos committing hamartanō a sin hamartia that does not lead to pros death thanatos, he should ask aiteō and kai God will give didōmi him autos life zōē to those ho whose sins hamartanō do not lead to pros death thanatos. There is eimi sin hamartia that leads to pros death thanatos; I do legō not ou say legō that hina he should pray erōtaō about peri that ekeinos. 17 All pas wrongdoing adikia is eimi sin hamartia, but kai there is eimi sin hamartia that does not ou lead to pros death thanatos.

18 We know oida that hoti everyone pas who ho has been born gennaō of ek · ho God theos does not ou continue to sin hamartanō, but alla the ho one who was born gennaō of ek · ho God theos protects tēreō him autos and kai the ho evil one ponēros will not ou harm haptō him autos. 19 We know oida that hoti we are eimi children of ek · ho God theos, and kai that the ho whole holos world kosmos lies keimai in en the power of the ho evil one ponēros. 20 And de we know oida that hoti the ho Son hyios of ho God theos has come hēkō and kai has given didōmi us hēmeis discernment dianoia so that hina we may know ginōskō him ho who is true alēthinos; and kai we are eimi in en him ho who is true alēthinos, in en · ho his autos Son hyios Jesus Iēsous Christ Christos. This one houtos is eimi the ho true alēthinos God theos and kai eternal aiōnios life zōē.

21 Little children teknion, keep phylassō yourselves heautou from apo · ho idols eidōlon.