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
1 John 3
King James Version
3 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
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 that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward 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 gave us commandment.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
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