English Standard Version ESV
New King James Version NKJV
1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
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Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
2 Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
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Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
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And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
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Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
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And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
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Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
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Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
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He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
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Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
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In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
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For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
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not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers,that the world hates you.
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Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.
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We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
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Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
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By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
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But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
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My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him;
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And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
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For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
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Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.
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And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight.
23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
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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 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
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Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.