1 John 3
Common English Bible
3 See what kind of love the Father has given to us in that we should be called God’s children, and that is what we are! Because the world didn’t recognize him, it doesn’t recognize us.
2 Dear friends, now we are God’s children, and it hasn’t yet appeared what we will be. We know that when he appears we will be like him because we’ll see him as he is. 3 And all who have this hope in him purify themselves even as he is pure. 4 Every person who practices sin commits an act of rebellion, and sin is rebellion. 5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and there is no sin in him. 6 Every person who remains in relationship to him does not sin. Any person who sins has not seen him or known him.
Practicing sin or righteousness
7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, in the same way that Jesus is righteous. 8 The person who practices sin belongs to the devil, because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. God’s Son appeared for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil. 9 Those born from God don’t practice sin because God’s DNA[a] remains in them. They can’t sin because they are born from God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children are apparent: everyone who doesn’t practice righteousness is not from God, including the person who doesn’t love a brother or sister. 11 This is the message that you heard from the beginning: love each other. 12 Don’t behave like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he kill him? He killed him because his own works were evil, but the works of his brother were righteous.
Loving each other
13 Don’t be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have transferred from death to life, because we love the brothers and sisters. The person who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that murderers don’t have eternal life residing in them. 16 This is how we know love: Jesus laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 But if someone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but refuses to help—how can the love of God dwell in a person like that?
18 Little children, let’s not love with words or speech but with action and truth. 19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and reassure our hearts in God’s presence. 20 Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things. 21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence in relationship to God. 22 We receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 This is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love each other as he commanded us. 24 Those who keep his commandments dwell in God and God dwells in them. This is how we know that he dwells in us, because of the Spirit he has given us.
Footnotes
- 1 John 3:9 Or genetic character
1 John 3
Jubilee Bible 2000
3 ¶ Behold, what charity the Father has given us, that we should be called the sons of God; therefore the world does not know us, because it does not know him.
2 Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be; but we know that if he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
4 ¶ Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he appeared to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him.
6 Whosoever abides in him does not sin: whosoever sins has not seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you; he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he also is righteous.
8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might undo the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the sons of God are manifest, and the sons of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness and that loves not his brother is not of God.
11 ¶ For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, That we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you.
14 ¶ We know that we are passed from death unto life, in that we love the brethren. He that does not love his brother abides in death.
15 Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 In this we have known the charity of God because he laid down his life for us; we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whosoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother have need and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how does the charity of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19 And in this we know that we are of the truth and have our hearts certified before him.
20 ¶ And if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have confidence in God;
22 and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23 ¶ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he has commanded us.
24 And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.
1 John 3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
3 1 Look at how great a 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. 2 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, we will be like Him(B) because we will see Him as He is.(C) 3 And everyone who has this hope(D) in Him purifies himself just as He is pure.(E)
4 Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law;[b] sin is the breaking of law. 5 You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins,[c](F) and there is no sin in Him.(G) 6 Everyone who remains in Him(H) does not sin;[d](I) everyone who[e] sins has not seen Him or known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 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. 9 Everyone who has been born of God(L) does not sin,[g] because His[h] seed(M) remains in him; he is not able to sin,[i] because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident.
The Command to Love
Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.(N) 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[j] his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates(Q) you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.(R) 15 Everyone who hates his brother(S) is a murderer,(T) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Love in Action
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.(W) 17 If anyone has this world’s goods(X) and sees his brother in need(Y) but closes his eyes(Z) to his need—how can God’s love reside in him?(AA)
18 Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action.(AB) 19 This is how we will know we belong to the truth(AC) and will convince our conscience in His presence, 20 even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things.(AD)
21 Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and can 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 John 3:1 Or at what sort of love
- 1 John 3:4 Or also commits iniquity
- 1 John 3:5 Other mss read our sins
- 1 John 3:6 Or not keep on sinning
- 1 John 3:6 Or who keeps on sinning
- 1 John 3:8 Or practices
- 1 John 3:9 Or not practice sin
- 1 John 3:9 God’s
- 1 John 3:9 Or to keep on sinning
- 1 John 3:12 Or slaughtered
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