1 John 3

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Literal

Children of God

¹Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God—and we are! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

²Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears,^a we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

²Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be was not yet made manifest. We know that if He should be made manifest, we will be like Him, for we will see Him just as He is.

³And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.^a

³And everyone having this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

⁴Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.^a

⁴Everyone who is doing sin also does lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.

⁵But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

⁵And you know that He appeared so that He should take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.

⁶No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

⁶Everyone who is remaining in Him does not sin; everyone who is sinning has not seen Him, nor has he known Him.

⁷Little children,^a let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.^b

⁷Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one doing righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

⁸The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

⁸The one doing sin is of the devil, because the devil is sinning from the beginning. For this the Son of God was made manifest, so that He might destroy the works of the devil.

⁹Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

⁹Everyone having been born of God does not do sin, because His seed remains in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

¹⁰By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

¹⁰In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: everyone not doing righteousness is not of God, and the one not loving his brother.

Love One Another

¹¹This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

¹¹For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

¹²Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

¹²not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil, but those of his brother were righteous.

¹³So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

¹³And do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you.

¹⁴We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

¹⁴We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love our brothers. The one not loving remains in death.

¹⁵Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

¹⁵Everyone hating his brother is a murderer; and you know that any murderer does not have eternal life remaining in him.

¹⁶By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

¹⁶In this we have known love, because He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

¹⁷If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

¹⁷Now whoever may have the goods of the world, and may see his brother having need, and might shut his heart from him, how does the love of God remain in him?

¹⁸Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

¹⁸Little children, may we love not in word nor in tongue, but in work and in truth.

¹⁹And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:

¹⁹And in this we will know that we are of the truth, and we will assure our heart before Him,

²⁰Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

²⁰that if our heart may condemn us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things.

²¹Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,

²¹Beloved, if our heart may not condemn us, we have confidence toward God,

²²and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.

²²and whatever we may ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and we do the things pleasing before Him.

²³And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.

²³And this is His commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another, just as He gave the commandment to us.

²⁴Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

²⁴And the one keeping His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. And in this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit whom He gave to us.