1 John, 2

1. My children, I am writing this to prevent you from sinning; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright.

1. My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

2. He is the sacrifice to expiate our sins, and not only ours, but also those of the whole world.

2. and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

3. In this way we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.

3. And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4. Whoever says, 'I know him' without keeping his commandments, is a liar, and truth has no place in him.

4. He who says "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

5. But anyone who does keep his word, in such a one God's love truly reaches its perfection. This is the proof that we are in God.

5. but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him:

6. Whoever claims to remain in him must act as he acted.

6. he who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

7. My dear friends, this is not a new commandment I am writing for you, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the message you have heard.

7. Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.

8. Yet in another way, I am writing a new commandment for you -- and this is true for you, just as much as for him -- for darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

8. Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

9. Whoever claims to be in light but hates his brother is still in darkness.

9. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still.

10. Anyone who loves his brother remains in light and there is in him nothing to make him fall away.

10. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling.

11. But whoever hates his brother is in darkness and is walking about in darkness not knowing where he is going, because darkness has blinded him.

11. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and 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, children, because your sins have been forgiven through his name.

12. I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his sake.

13. I am writing to you, fathers, because you have come to know the One who has existed since the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the Evil One.

13. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

14. I have written to you, children, because you have come to know the Father. I have written to you, parents, because you have come to know the One who has existed since the beginning. I have written to you, young people, because you are strong, and God's word remains in you, and you have overcome the Evil One.

14. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

15. Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him,

15. Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the world, love for the Father is not in him.

16. because everything there is in the world -- disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession -- is not from the Father but is from the world.

16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world.

17. And the world, with all its disordered desires, is passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains for ever.

17. And the world passes away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever.

18. Children, this is the final hour; you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and now many Antichrists have already come; from this we know that it is the final hour.

18. Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come; therefore we know that it is the last hour.

19. They have gone from among us, but they never really belonged to us; if they had belonged to us, they would have stayed with us. But this was to prove that not one of them belonged to us.

19. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out, that it might be plain that they all are not of us.

20. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and have all received knowledge.

20. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all know.

21. I have written to you not because you are ignorant of the truth, but because you are well aware of it, and because no lie can come from the truth.

21. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and know that no lie is of the truth.

22. Who is the liar, if not one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son.

22. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

23. Whoever denies the Son cannot have the Father either; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father too.

23. No one who denies the Son has the Father. He who confesses the Son has the Father also.

24. Let what you heard in the beginning remain in you; as long as what you heard in the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father.

24. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father.

25. And the promise he made you himself is eternal life.

25. And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

26. So much have I written to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.

26. I write this to you about those who would deceive you;

27. But as for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; since the anointing he gave you teaches you everything, and since it is true, not false, remain in him just as he has taught you.

27. but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28. Therefore remain in him now, children, so that when he appears we may be fearless, and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

28. And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming.

29. If you know that he is upright you must recognise that everyone whose life is upright is a child of his.

29. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that every one who does right is born of him.