1 John 2 English Standard Version
Christ Our Advocate
2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, (A)we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 (B)He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but (C)also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we (D)keep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments (E)is a liar, and (F)the truth is not in him, 5 but whoever (G)keeps his word, in him truly (H)the love of God is perfected. (I)By this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he (J)abides in him (K)ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
The New Commandment
7 Beloved, I am writing you (L)no new commandment, but (M)an old commandment (N)that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is (O)a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because[a] (P)the darkness is passing away and (Q)the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and (R)hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him[b] there is no (S)cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and (T)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children,
because (U)your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know (V)him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because (W)you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because (X)you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know (Y)him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because (Z)you are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 (AA)Do not love the world or the things in the world. (AB)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—(AC)the desires of the flesh and (AD)the desires of the eyes and pride of life[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And (AE)the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Warning Concerning Antichrists
18 Children, (AF)it is the last hour, and as you have heard that (AG)antichrist is coming, so now (AH)many antichrists have come. (AI)Therefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 (AJ)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for (AK)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, (AL)that it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been (AM)anointed by (AN)the Holy One, and (AO)you all have knowledge.[d] 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but (AP)he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is (AQ)the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 (AR)No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let (AS)what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then (AT)you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us[e]—(AU)eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about (AV)those who are trying to deceive you. 27 But (AW)the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and (AX)you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and (AY)is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
Children of God
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that (AZ)when he appears (BA)we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his (BB)coming. 29 If you know that (BC)he is righteous, you may be sure that (BD)everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
Footnotes
- 1 John 2:8 Or that
- 1 John 2:10 Or it
- 1 John 2:16 Or pride in possessions
- 1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts you know everything
- 1 John 2:25 Some manuscripts you
Cross references
- 1 John 2:1 : Rom. 8:34; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25
- 1 John 2:2 : ch. 4:10; Rom. 3:25; [2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Col. 1:20]
- 1 John 2:2 : ch. 4:14; John 1:29; 4:42; 11:51, 52; 12:32
- 1 John 2:3 : John 14:15; 15:10
- 1 John 2:4 : ch. 1:8; John 8:44
- 1 John 2:4 : ch. 1:8; John 8:44
- 1 John 2:5 : ch. 5:3; John 14:23
- 1 John 2:5 : ch. 4:12
- 1 John 2:5 : ch. 3:24; 4:13; 5:2
- 1 John 2:6 : John 15:4, 5, 7
- 1 John 2:6 : See Matt. 11:29
- 1 John 2:7 : 2 John 5
- 1 John 2:7 : Lev. 19:18
- 1 John 2:7 : [ver. 24; ch. 3:11; 2 John 5, 6]
- 1 John 2:8 : See John 13:34
- 1 John 2:8 : Rom. 13:12; Eph. 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:4, 5
- 1 John 2:8 : John 1:9; 8:12
- 1 John 2:9 : ch. 4:20; [ch. 3:14, 15; Titus 3:3]
- 1 John 2:10 : John 11:10; [Prov. 4:19; 2 Pet. 1:10]
- 1 John 2:11 : See ch. 1:6
- 1 John 2:12 : Luke 24:47; Acts 10:43; 13:38
- 1 John 2:13 : [ch. 1:1]
- 1 John 2:13 : Eph. 6:10; [ch. 5:4, 5]
- 1 John 2:13 : John 14:7
- 1 John 2:14 : [See ver. 13 above]; [ch. 1:1]
- 1 John 2:14 : [See ver. 13 above]; Eph. 6:10; [ch. 5:4, 5]
- 1 John 2:15 : [Rom. 12:2; 2 Tim. 4:10]
- 1 John 2:15 : See James 4:4
- 1 John 2:16 : Rom. 13:14; Eph. 2:3; 1 Pet. 4:2; 2 Pet. 2:18
- 1 John 2:16 : Eccles. 4:8; 5:11
- 1 John 2:17 : See 1 Cor. 7:31
- 1 John 2:18 : [2 Tim. 3:1; James 5:3; 2 Pet. 3:3; Jude 18]
- 1 John 2:18 : ver. 22; ch. 4:3; 2 John 7; [Matt. 24:5, 24]
- 1 John 2:18 : [ch. 4:1; Matt. 24:5]
- 1 John 2:18 : 1 Tim. 4:1
- 1 John 2:19 : Deut. 13:13; Acts 20:30
- 1 John 2:19 : See John 17:12
- 1 John 2:19 : 1 Cor. 11:19
- 1 John 2:20 : ver. 27; [2 Cor. 1:21]
- 1 John 2:20 : See Mark 1:24
- 1 John 2:20 : ver. 27; See John 14:26
- 1 John 2:22 : ch. 4:3; 2 John 7
- 1 John 2:22 : [See ver. 18 above]; ver. 22; ch. 4:3; 2 John 7; [Matt. 24:5, 24]
- 1 John 2:23 : ch. 4:15; 5:1; 2 John 9
- 1 John 2:24 : ch. 3:11; 2 John 6
- 1 John 2:24 : [John 14:23]; See ch. 1:3
- 1 John 2:25 : John 17:2
- 1 John 2:26 : ch. 3:7; 2 John 7
- 1 John 2:27 : ver. 20
- 1 John 2:27 : Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:11
- 1 John 2:27 : John 14:17
- 1 John 2:28 : ch. 3:2; [Col. 3:4]
- 1 John 2:28 : ch. 3:21; 4:17; 5:14
- 1 John 2:28 : See 1 Thess. 2:19
- 1 John 2:29 : ch. 3:7
- 1 John 2:29 : ch. 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18; 3 John 11
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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