1 John 2:1–29

¹My little children, I am writing ​YOU​ these things that ​YOU​ may not commit a sin. And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one.²And he is a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, yet not for ours only but also for the whole world’s.³And by this we have the knowledge that we have come to know him, namely, if we continue observing his commandments.⁴He that says: “I have come to know him,” and yet is not observing his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this [person].⁵But whoever does observe his word, truthfully in this [person] the love of God has been made perfect. By this we have the knowledge that we are in union with him.⁶He that says he remains in union with him is under obligation himself also to go on walking just as that one walked.

⁷Beloved ones, I am writing ​YOU, not a new commandment, but an old commandment which ​YOU​ have had from [the] beginning. This old commandment is the word which ​YOU​ heard.⁸Again, I am writing ​YOU​ a new commandment, a fact that is true in his case and in ​YOURS, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

⁹He that says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness up to right now.¹⁰He that loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in his case.¹¹But he that hates his brother is in the darkness and is walking in the darkness, and he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹²I am writing ​YOU, little children, because ​YOUR​ sins have been forgiven ​YOU​ for the sake of his name.¹³I am writing ​YOU, fathers, because ​YOU​ have come to know him who is from [the] beginning. I am writing ​YOU, young men, because ​YOU​ have conquered the wicked one. I write ​YOU, young children, because ​YOU​ have come to know the Father.¹⁴I write ​YOU, fathers, because ​YOU​ have come to know him who is from [the] beginning. I write ​YOU, young men, because ​YOU​ are strong and the word of God remains in ​YOU​ and ​YOU​ have conquered the wicked one.

¹⁵Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him;¹⁶because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world.¹⁷Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.

¹⁸Young children, it is the last hour, and, just as ​YOU​ have heard that antichrist is coming, even now there have come to be many antichrists; from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour.¹⁹They went out from us, but they were not of our sort; for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us. But [they went out] that it might be shown up that not all are of our sort.²⁰And ​YOU​ have an anointing from the holy one; all of ​YOU​ have knowledge.²¹I write ​YOU, not because ​YOU​ do not know the truth, but because ​YOU​ know it, and because no lie originates with the truth.

²²Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one that denies the Father and the Son.²³Everyone that denies the Son does not have the Father either. He that confesses the Son has the Father also.²⁴As for ​YOU, let that which ​YOU​ have heard from [the] beginning remain in ​YOU. If that which ​YOU​ have heard from [the] beginning remains in ​YOU, ​YOU​ will also abide in union with the Son and in union with the Father.²⁵Furthermore, this is the promised thing that he himself promised us, the life everlasting.

²⁶These things I write ​YOU​ about those who are trying to mislead ​YOU.²⁷And as for ​YOU, the anointing that ​YOU​ received from him remains in ​YOU, and ​YOU​ do not need anyone to be teaching ​YOU; but, as the anointing from him is teaching ​YOU​ about all things, and is true and is no lie, and just as it has taught ​YOU, remain in union with him.²⁸So now, little children, remain in union with him, that when he is made manifest we may have freeness of speech and not be shamed away from him at his presence.²⁹If ​YOU​ know that he is righteous, ​YOU​ gain the knowledge that everyone who practices righteousness has been born from him.