Common English Bible CEB
English Standard Version ESV
1 My little children, I'm writing these things to you so that you don't sin. But if you do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one.
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My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
2 He is God's way of dealing with our sins, not only ours but the sins of the whole world.
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He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commandments.
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And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 The one who claims, "I know him," while not keeping his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this person.
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Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,
5 But the love of God is truly perfected in whoever keeps his word. This is how we know we are in him.
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but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:
6 The one who claims to remain in him ought to live in the same way as he lived.
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whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
7 Dear friends, I'm not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the message you heard.
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Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines.
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At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9 The one who claims to be in the light while hating a brother or sister is in the darkness even now.
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Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
10 The person loving a brother and sister stays in the light, and there is nothing in the light that causes a person to stumble.
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Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.
11 But the person who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and lives in the darkness, and doesn't know where to go because the darkness blinds the eyes.
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But whoever 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 Little children, I'm writing to you because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus' name.
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I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
13 Parents, I'm writing to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I'm writing to you because you have conquered the evil one.
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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 Little children, I write to you because you know the Father. Parents, I write to you because you have known the one who has existed from the beginning. Young people, I write to you because you are strong, the word of God remains in you, and you have conquered the evil one.
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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 Don't love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them.
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Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 Everything that is in the world—the craving for whatever the body feels, the craving for whatever the eyes see and the arrogant pride in one's possessions—is not of the Father but is of the world.
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For all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 And the world and its cravings are passing away, but the person who does the will of God remains forever.
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And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
18 Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
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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 went out from us, but they were not really part of us. If they had been part of us, they would have stayed with us. But by going out from us, they showed they all are not part of us.
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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 become plain that they all are not of us.
20 But you have an anointing from the holy one, and all of you know the truth.
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But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.
21 I don't write to you because you don't know the truth but because you know it. You know that no lie comes from the truth.
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I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.
22 Who is the liar? Isn't it the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This person is the antichrist: the one who denies the Father and the Son.
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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 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father, but the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.
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No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, what you heard from the beginning must remain in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in relationship to the Son and in the Father.
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Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.
25 This is the promise that he himself gave us: eternal life.
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And this is the promise that he made to us— eternal life.
26 I write these things to you about those who are attempting to deceive you.
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I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him remains on you, and you don't need anyone to teach you the truth. But since his anointing teaches you about all things (it's true and not a lie), remain in relationship to him just as he taught you.
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But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.
28 And now, little children, remain in relationship to Jesus, so that when he appears we can have confidence and not be ashamed in front of him when he comes.
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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 righteous, you also know that every person who practices righteousness is born from him.
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If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025