1 The|strong="G3588" Father|strong="G3962" has|strong="G2316" loved us|strong="G1325" so|strong="G2443" much! This|strong="G3778" shows how|strong="G3754" much he|strong="G2532" loved us|strong="G1325": We|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" called|strong="G2564" children|strong="G5043" of|strong="G1223" God|strong="G2316". And|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" really are|strong="G1510" his|strong="G0846" children|strong="G5043". But|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" people|strong="G0846" in|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889" don’t|strong="G3756" understand|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G5043", because|strong="G3754" they|strong="G0846" have|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" known|strong="G1097" him|strong="G0846".
2 Dear|strong="G0027" friends, now|strong="G3568" we|strong="G1437" are|strong="G1510" children|strong="G5043" of|strong="G2316" God|strong="G2316". We|strong="G1437" have|strong="G1510" not|strong="G1510" yet|strong="G2532" been|strong="G1510" shown|strong="G5319" what|strong="G5101" we|strong="G1437" will|strong="G2316" be|strong="G1510" in|strong="G2316" the|strong="G2532" future. But|strong="G2532" we|strong="G1437" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" when|strong="G2532" Christ|strong="G0846" comes|strong="G1510" again|strong="G2532", we|strong="G1437" will|strong="G2316" be|strong="G1510" like|strong="G3664" him|strong="G0846". We|strong="G1437" will|strong="G2316" see|strong="G3708" him|strong="G0846" just|strong="G2531" as|strong="G2531" he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510".
3 He|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" pure|strong="G0053", and|strong="G2532" everyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" has|strong="G2192" this|strong="G3778" hope|strong="G1680" in|strong="G1909" him|strong="G0846" keeps themselves|strong="G1438" pure|strong="G0053" like|strong="G2531" Christ|strong="G0846".
4 Anyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" sins|strong="G0266" breaks God’s law. Yes, sinning is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" same|strong="G2532" as|strong="G2532" living against God’s law.
5 You|strong="G3754" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" Christ|strong="G0846" came|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2443" take|strong="G0142" away|strong="G0142" people’s|strong="G0846" sins|strong="G0266". There|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" no|strong="G3756" sin|strong="G0266" in|strong="G1722" Christ|strong="G0846".
6 So|strong="G1722" whoever|strong="G3588" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" Christ|strong="G0846" does|strong="G1097" not|strong="G3756" continue|strong="G3306" to|strong="G1722" sin|strong="G0264". If they|strong="G0846" continue|strong="G3306" to|strong="G1722" sin|strong="G0264", they|strong="G0846" have|strong="G3956" never|strong="G3756" really understood|strong="G1097" Christ|strong="G0846" and|strong="G3708" have|strong="G3956" never|strong="G3756" known|strong="G1097" him|strong="G0846".
7 Dear children|strong="G5040", don’t|strong="G3367" let|strong="G1510" anyone|strong="G3367" lead|strong="G1510" you|strong="G5210" into|strong="G1342" the|strong="G3588" wrong way|strong="G3367". Christ always did|strong="G4160" what|strong="G3588" was|strong="G1510" right|strong="G1342". So|strong="G2531" to|strong="G4160" be|strong="G1510" good|strong="G1510" like|strong="G2531" Christ, you|strong="G5210" must|strong="G4160" do|strong="G4160" what|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" right|strong="G1342".
8 The|strong="G3588" devil|strong="G1228" has|strong="G2316" been|strong="G1510" sinning|strong="G0264" since|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3588" beginning|strong="G0746". Anyone who|strong="G3588" continues to|strong="G1519" sin|strong="G0266" belongs|strong="G1510" to|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" devil|strong="G1228". The|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316" came|strong="G1510" for|strong="G1519" this|strong="G3778": to|strong="G1519" destroy|strong="G3089" the|strong="G3588" devil’s work|strong="G2041".
9 Those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G3956" God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G4690" do|strong="G4160" not|strong="G3756" continue|strong="G3306" to|strong="G1410" sin|strong="G0266", because|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3956" new life God|strong="G2316" gave|strong="G4160" them|strong="G0846" stays in|strong="G1722" them|strong="G0846". They|strong="G0846" cannot|strong="G3756" keep|strong="G4160" sinning|strong="G0264", because|strong="G3754" they|strong="G0846" have|strong="G2532" become|strong="G4160" children|strong="G4690" of|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316".
10 So|strong="G2532" we|strong="G3778" can|strong="G4160" see who|strong="G3588" God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G5043" are|strong="G1510" and|strong="G2532" who|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3956" devil’s children|strong="G5043" are|strong="G1510". These|strong="G3778" are|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" ones who|strong="G3588" are|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G5043": those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" don’t|strong="G3756" do|strong="G4160" what|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" right|strong="G1343" and|strong="G2532" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" do|strong="G4160" not|strong="G3756" love|strong="G0025" their|strong="G0846" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G2532" sisters in|strong="G1722" God’s|strong="G2316" family.
11 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" teaching you|strong="G3739" have|strong="G1510" heard|strong="G0191" from|strong="G0575" the|strong="G3588" beginning|strong="G0746": We|strong="G3739" must|strong="G1510" love|strong="G0025" each|strong="G0240" other|strong="G3739".
12 Don’t|strong="G3756" be|strong="G1510" like|strong="G2531" Cain|strong="G2535". He|strong="G2532" belonged|strong="G1537" to|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" Evil|strong="G4190" One|strong="G3588". Cain|strong="G2535" killed his|strong="G0846" brother|strong="G0080". But|strong="G1161" why|strong="G5101" did|strong="G1510" he|strong="G2532" kill him|strong="G0846"? Because|strong="G3754" what|strong="G5101" Cain|strong="G2535" did|strong="G1510" was|strong="G1510" evil|strong="G4190", and|strong="G2532" what|strong="G5101" his|strong="G0846" brother|strong="G0080" did|strong="G1510" was|strong="G1510" good|strong="G1510".
13 Brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G2532" sisters, don’t|strong="G3361" be|strong="G2532" surprised|strong="G2296" when|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" people|strong="G3588" of|strong="G0080" this|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889" hate|strong="G3404" you|strong="G5210".
14 We|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" have|strong="G3748" left|strong="G3327" death|strong="G2288" and|strong="G0080" have|strong="G3748" come|strong="G1537" into|strong="G1519" life|strong="G2222". We|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1492" this|strong="G3588" because|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" love|strong="G0025" each other as|strong="G1519" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G0080" sisters. Anyone who|strong="G3588" does|strong="G1492" not|strong="G3361" love|strong="G0025" is|strong="G3588" still in|strong="G1722" death|strong="G2288".
15 Anyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" hates|strong="G3404" a|strong="G2192" fellow believer is|strong="G1510" a|strong="G2192" murderer|strong="G0443". And|strong="G2532" you|strong="G3754" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" no|strong="G3756" murderer|strong="G0443" has|strong="G2192" eternal|strong="G0166" life|strong="G2222".
16 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G3778" how|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" what|strong="G3588" real love|strong="G0026" is|strong="G3778": Jesus|strong="G0846" gave his|strong="G0846" life|strong="G5590" for|strong="G3754" us|strong="G1722". So|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" should|strong="G3784" give our|strong="G2532" lives|strong="G5590" for|strong="G3754" each other|strong="G1565" as|strong="G1722" brothers|strong="G0080" and|strong="G2532" sisters.
17 Suppose a|strong="G2192" believer who|strong="G3739" is|strong="G2316" rich|strong="G2192" enough to|strong="G2532" have|strong="G2192" all|strong="G3588" the|strong="G3588" necessities of|strong="G0575" life|strong="G0979" sees|strong="G2334" a|strong="G2192" fellow believer who|strong="G3739" is|strong="G2316" poor and|strong="G2532" does|strong="G2192" not|strong="G3739" have|strong="G2192" even|strong="G2532" basic needs|strong="G5532". What|strong="G3739" if|strong="G0302" the|strong="G3588" rich|strong="G2192" believer does|strong="G2192" not|strong="G3739" help the|strong="G3588" poor one|strong="G3739"? Then|strong="G2532" it|strong="G0846" is|strong="G2316" clear that|strong="G3739" God’s|strong="G2316" love|strong="G0026" is|strong="G2316" not|strong="G3739" in|strong="G1722" that|strong="G3739" person’s heart|strong="G4698".
18 My|strong="G1722" children|strong="G5040", our|strong="G2532" love|strong="G0025" should|strong="G2532" not|strong="G3361" be|strong="G2532" only|strong="G2532" words|strong="G3056" and|strong="G2532" talk|strong="G3056". No|strong="G3361", our|strong="G2532" love|strong="G0025" must|strong="G0235" be|strong="G2532" real. We|strong="G2532" must|strong="G0235" show our|strong="G2532" love|strong="G0025" by|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" things|strong="G3588" we|strong="G2532" do|strong="G3361".
21 My|strong="G2192" dear|strong="G0027" friends, if|strong="G1437" we|strong="G2249" don’t|strong="G3361" feel that|strong="G2316" we|strong="G2249" are|strong="G3588" doing wrong, we|strong="G2249" can be|strong="G2316" without|strong="G3361" fear when|strong="G1437" we|strong="G2249" come to|strong="G4314" God|strong="G2316".
22 And|strong="G2532" God|strong="G0846" gives|strong="G4160" us|strong="G4160" what|strong="G3739" we|strong="G3739" ask|strong="G0154" for|strong="G3754". We|strong="G3739" receive|strong="G2983" it|strong="G0846" because|strong="G3754" we|strong="G3739" obey|strong="G5083" God’s|strong="G0846" commands|strong="G1785" and|strong="G2532" do|strong="G4160" what|strong="G3739" pleases him|strong="G0846".
23 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" what|strong="G3588" God|strong="G0846" commands|strong="G1785": that|strong="G2443" we|strong="G2249" believe|strong="G4100" in|strong="G2532" his|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207" Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547", and|strong="G2532" that|strong="G2443" we|strong="G2249" love|strong="G0025" each|strong="G0240" other|strong="G0240" as|strong="G2531" he|strong="G2532" commanded|strong="G1785".
24 All|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3739" obey|strong="G5083" God’s|strong="G0846" commands|strong="G1785" live in|strong="G1722" God|strong="G0846". And|strong="G2532" God|strong="G0846" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" them|strong="G0846". How|strong="G3754" do|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" God|strong="G0846" lives|strong="G3306" in|strong="G1722" us|strong="G1325"? We|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" because|strong="G3754" of|strong="G1537" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151" he|strong="G2532" gave|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325".