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1 John 3:11-19
New Living Translation
1 John 3:11-19
New Living Translation
Love One Another
11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you.
14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers,[b] it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister[c] is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister[d] in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?
18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
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1 John 3:11-19
New King James Version
1 John 3:11-19
New King James Version
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, (A)that we should love one another, 12 not as (B)Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if (C)the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love [a]his brother abides in death. 15 (D)Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that (E)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
The Outworking of Love
16 (F)By this we know love, (G)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But (H)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, (I)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we [b]know (J)that we are of the truth, and shall [c]assure our hearts before Him.
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- 1 John 3:14 NU omits his brother
- 1 John 3:19 NU shall know
- 1 John 3:19 persuade, set at rest
1 John 3:11-19
Christian Standard Bible
1 John 3:11-19
Christian Standard Bible
Love in Action
11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain,(A) who was of the evil one(B) 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(C) 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.(D) 15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister(E) is a murderer,(F) 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(G) for us.(H) We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(I) 17 If anyone has this world’s goods(J) and sees a fellow believer[a] in need(K) but withholds compassion(L) from him—how does God’s love reside in him?(M) 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.(N)
19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth(O) and will reassure our hearts before him
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- 3:17 Lit sees his brother or sister
1 John 3:11-19
New International Version
1 John 3:11-19
New International Version
More on Love and Hatred
11 For this is the message you heard(A) from the beginning:(B) We should love one another.(C) 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one(D) and murdered his brother.(E) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.(F) 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[a] if the world hates you.(G) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life,(H) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.(I) 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister(J) is a murderer,(K) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.(L)
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.(M) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(N) 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,(O) how can the love of God be in that person?(P) 18 Dear children,(Q) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.(R)
19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence:
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
1 John 3:11-20
The Voice
1 John 3:11-20
The Voice
11 The central truth—the one you have heard since the beginning of your faith—is that we must love one another. 12 Please do not act like Cain, who was of the evil one. He brutally murdered his own brother.[a] Why would he do something so despicable? Because his life was devoted to evil and selfishness, and his brother chose to do what is right.
13 Brothers and sisters, don’t be shocked if the corrupt world despises you. 14 We know that we have crossed over from death to real life because we are devoted to true love for our brothers and sisters. Anyone who does not love lives among corpses.
Do you ever wonder if you are just silently sleeping through days, months, and years? There is one indicator of real life: true love for others.
15 Everyone who hates other members of God’s family is a murderer. Does a murderer possess the beautiful life that never ends? No. 16 We know what true love looks like because of Jesus. He gave His life for us, and He calls us to give our lives for our brothers and sisters.
17 If a person owns the kinds of things we need to make it in the world but refuses to share with those in need, is it even possible that God’s love lives in him? 18 My little children, don’t just talk about love as an idea or a theory. Make it your true way of life, and live in the pattern of gracious love.
19-20 There is a sure way for us to know that we belong to the truth. Even though our inner thoughts may condemn us with storms of guilt and constant reminders of our failures, we can know in our hearts that in His presence God Himself is greater than any accusation. He knows all things.
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New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
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 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.
The Voice (VOICE)
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.