New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 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;
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My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one:
2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
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He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but for all the world.
3 Now by this we may be sure that we know him, if we obey his commandments.
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And by this we may be certain that we have knowledge of him, if we keep his laws.
4 Whoever says, "I have come to know him," but does not obey his commandments, is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist;
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The man who says, I have knowledge of him, and does not keep his laws, is false, and there is nothing true in him:
5 but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we may be sure that we are in him:
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But in every man who keeps his word, the love of God is made complete. By this we may be certain that we are in him:
6 whoever says, "I abide in him," ought to walk just as he walked.
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He who says that he is living in him, will do as he did.
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard.
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My loved ones, I do not give you a new law, but an old law which you had from the first; this old law is the word which came to your ears.
8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
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Again, I give you a new law, which is true in him and in you; for the night is near its end and the true light is even now shining out.
9 Whoever says, "I am in the light," while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness.
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He who says that he is in the light, and has hate in his heart for his brother, is still in the dark.
10 Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling.
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He who has love for his brother is in the light, and there is no cause of error in him.
11 But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.
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But he who has hate for his brother is in the dark, walking in the dark with no knowledge of where he is going, unable to see because of the dark.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.
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I am writing to you, my children, because you have forgiveness of sins through his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one.
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I am writing to you, fathers, because you have knowledge of him who was from the first. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the Evil One. I have sent a letter to you, children, because you have knowledge of the Father.
14 I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
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I have sent a letter to you, fathers, because you have knowledge of him who was from the first. I have sent a letter to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God is in you, and because you have overcome the Evil One.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world;
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Have no love for the world or for the things which are in the world. If any man has love for the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world.
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Because everything in the world, the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but of the world.
17 And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.
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And the world and its desires is coming to an end: but he who does God's pleasure is living for ever.
18 Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour.
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Little children, it is the last hour; and as you were given word that the Antichrist would come, so now a number of Antichrists have come to you; and by this we are certain that it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us.
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They went out from us but they were not of us; if they had been of us they would still be with us: but they went out from us so that it might be made clear that they were not of us.
20 But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge.
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And you have the Spirit from the Holy One and you all have knowledge.
21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth.
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I have not sent you this letter because you have no knowledge of what is true, but because you have knowledge, and because that which is false has nothing in common with that which is true.
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
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Who is false but he who says that Jesus is not the Christ? He is the Antichrist who has no belief in the Father or the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also.
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He who has no belief in the Son has not the Father: he who makes clear his belief in the Son has 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.
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But as for you, keep in your hearts the things which were made clear to you from the first. If you keep these things in your hearts you will be kept in the Father and the Son.
25 And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.
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And this is the hope which he gave you, even eternal life.
26 I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you.
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I am writing these things to you about those whose purpose is that you may be turned out of the true way.
27 As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.
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As for you, the Spirit which he gave you is still in you, and you have no need of any teacher; but as his Spirit gives you teaching about all things, and is true and not false, so keep your hearts in him, through the teaching which he has given you.
28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
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And now, my children, keep your hearts in him; so that at his revelation, we may have no fear or shame before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.
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If you have knowledge that he is upright, it is clear to you that everyone who does righteousness is his offspring.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.