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1 John 2
Worldwide English (New Testament)
1 John 2
Worldwide English (New Testament)
2 My children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not do wrong things. But if anyone does something wrong, we have a Friend to help us. He speaks to God for us. He is Jesus Christ who does what is right.
2 He himself is the sacrifice God offered to pay for the wrong we have done. And he pays for the wrong things all people in all the world have done.
3 We can be sure that we know him when we obey his laws.
4 If any man says, `I know him' and does not obey his laws, he is telling a lie. He does not know what is true.
5 But if any man obeys his word, he really loves God. Here is the way that we may be sure that we belong to him.
6 If any man says he belongs to him, he must live in the same way Christ lived.
7 My dear brothers, I am not writing you a new law. This is an old law. You had it from the beginning. The old law is the word which you have heard.
8 But in a way, I am writing you a new law. The darkness is going away and the true light is shining already.
9 Does anyone say he is in the light, and hates his brother? Then he is still in the dark.
10 The man who loves his brother lives in the light. There is nothing in him to make him do wrong.
11 But the man who hates his brother is in the dark. He lives in the dark. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has made him blind.
12 Children, I am writing to you because God has forgiven the wrong things you have done. Your wrong ways have been forgiven because of what Christ did.
13 Fathers, I am writing to you because you know the One who has lived from the beginning. Young men, I am writing to you because you have won the victory over the devil. Children, I write to you because you know Father God.
14 Fathers, I write to you because you know him, the one who has lived from the beginning. Young men, I write to you because you are strong. You believe God's word. You have won the victory over the devil.
15 Do not love the world, or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, he does not love the Father.
16 Nothing in the world comes from the Father. I mean the wrong things people like to do with their bodies. I mean the things people see and want to have. I mean all the things people are proud of in this life. These things come from the world, not the Father.
17 And the world will go away and all the things in it that people like to do. But the person who does what God wants him to do will live for ever.
18 Children, we are very near the end of time. You have heard that someone will come who is against Christ. Many who are against Christ have already come. That is how we know that we are very near the end of time.
19 They left us, but they did not belong with us. If they had belonged with us, they would have stayed with us. But they left us so that people could see that all of them did not belong with us.
20 But the Holy One has given you a gift of understanding so that you all may know what is true.
21 I write to you, not because you do not know what is true, but because you do know. And you know that no lie is true.
22 Who then is the one who says what is not true? It is the one who says that Jesus is not the Christ. That person is against Christ, because he says there is no Father and there is no Son.
23 Everyone who says Jesus is not the Son does not know the Father. And everyone who says Jesus is the Son knows the Father.
24 So keep what you have heard from the beginning. If you keep what you have heard from the beginning, you too belong to the Son and to the Father.
25 And he himself has promised us that we will live for ever.
26 I have written these things to you about the ones who try to fool you.
27 You have a gift of understanding from Christ. That gift stays with you. You do not need anyone to teach you. His gift teaches you about everything. It is true. It is not a lie. So stay with him as he has taught you.
28 Now, my children, stay with Christ. Then we will not be afraid on that day when we see him again. We will not be ashamed to stand before him when he comes again.
29 You know that he does what is right. So you know also that everyone who does what is right is his child.
1 John 2
Legacy Standard Bible
1 John 2
Legacy Standard Bible
Jesus Christ Our Advocate
2 (A)My little children, I am (B)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, (C)we have an [a](D)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is (E)the [b]propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also (F)for those of the whole world.
3 (G)And by this we know that we have come to (H)know Him, if we (I)keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “(J)I have come to (K)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a (L)liar, and (M)the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever (N)keeps His word, truly in him the (O)love of God has been perfected. (P)By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says he (Q)abides in Him (R)ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
7 (S)Beloved, I am (T)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had (U)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 [c]On the other hand, I am writing (V)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because (W)the darkness is passing away and (X)the true Light is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet (Y)hates his (Z)brother is in the darkness until now. 10 (AA)The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who (AB)hates his brother is in the darkness and (AC)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness (AD)blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, (AE)little children, because (AF)your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him (AG)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because (AH)you have overcome (AI)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because [d](AJ)you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him (AK)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are (AL)strong, and the (AM)word of God abides in you, and (AN)you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love (AO)the world nor the things in the world. (AP)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, (AQ)the lust of the flesh and (AR)the lust of the eyes and (AS)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 (AT)And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who (AU)does the will of God abides forever.
18 Children, (AV)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that (AW)antichrist is coming, (AX)even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour. 19 (AY)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, (AZ)so that [e]it would be manifested that they all are not of us. 20 [f]But you have an (BA)anointing from (BB)the Holy One, and (BC)you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but (BD)because you do know it, and [g]because no lie is (BE)of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but (BF)the one who denies that Jesus is the [h]Christ? This is (BG)the [i]antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 (BH)Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, let that which you heard (BI)from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also (BJ)will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 (BK)And this is the promise which He Himself [j]made to us: eternal life.
26 These things I have written to you about those who are trying to (BL)deceive you. 27 And as for you, the (BM)anointing whom you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as His anointing (BN)teaches you about all things, and is (BO)true and is not a lie, and just as He has taught you, [k]abide in Him.
28 And now, (BP)little children, abide in Him, so that when He (BQ)is manifested, we may have (BR)confidence and (BS)not [l]shrink away from Him in shame [m]at His (BT)coming. 29 If you know that (BU)He is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness (BV)has been [n]born of Him.
Footnotes
- 1 John 2:1 Gr Paracletos, one called alongside to help; or Intercessor
- 1 John 2:2 Or satisfaction
- 1 John 2:8 Lit Again
- 1 John 2:13 Or you have come to know
- 1 John 2:19 Lit they would be revealed
- 1 John 2:20 Lit And
- 1 John 2:21 Or know that
- 1 John 2:22 Or Anointed One, cf. 2:27
- 1 John 2:22 Or one against the Anointed One, cf. 2:27
- 1 John 2:25 Lit promised us
- 1 John 2:27 Or you abide in Him; Gr indicative
- 1 John 2:28 Lit be put to shame from Him
- 1 John 2:28 Or in His presence
- 1 John 2:29 Or begotten
1 John 2
New International Version
1 John 2
New International Version
2 My dear children,(A) I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate(B) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,(C) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.(D)
Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers
3 We know(E) that we have come to know him(F) if we keep his commands.(G) 4 Whoever says, “I know him,”(H) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.(I) 5 But if anyone obeys his word,(J) love for God[a] is truly made complete in them.(K) This is how we know(L) we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.(M)
7 Dear friends,(N) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.(O) This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command;(P) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing(Q) and the true light(R) is already shining.(S)
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b](T) is still in the darkness.(U) 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light,(V) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.(W) 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister(X) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.(Y) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.(Z)
Reasons for Writing
12 I am writing to you, dear children,(AA)
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.(AB)
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.(AC)
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome(AD) the evil one.(AE)
14 I write to you, dear children,(AF)
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.(AG)
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,(AH)
and the word of God(AI) lives in you,(AJ)
and you have overcome the evil one.(AK)
On Not Loving the World
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.(AL) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them.(AM) 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,(AN) the lust of the eyes,(AO) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away,(AP) but whoever does the will of God(AQ) lives forever.
Warnings Against Denying the Son
18 Dear children, this is the last hour;(AR) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,(AS) even now many antichrists have come.(AT) This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us,(AU) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.(AV)
20 But you have an anointing(AW) from the Holy One,(AX) and all of you know the truth.[e](AY) 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it(AZ) and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.(BA) 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.(BB)
24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning(BC) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.(BD) 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.(BE)
26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.(BF) 27 As for you, the anointing(BG) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things(BH) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.(BI)
God’s Children and Sin
28 And now, dear children,(BJ) continue in him, so that when he appears(BK) we may be confident(BL) and unashamed before him at his coming.(BM)
29 If you know that he is righteous,(BN) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.(BO)
Footnotes
- 1 John 2:5 Or word, God’s love
- 1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.
- 1 John 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21.
- 1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
- 1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things
Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)
© 1969, 1971, 1996, 1998 by SOON Educational Publications
Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.