1 The|strong="G3956" people|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" believe|strong="G4100" that|strong="G3754" Jesus|strong="G2424" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3956" Messiah|strong="G5547" are|strong="G1510" God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G1080". Anyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" loves|strong="G0025" the|strong="G3956" Father|strong="G1080" also|strong="G2532" loves|strong="G0025" the|strong="G3956" Father’s children|strong="G1080".
2 How|strong="G3754" do|strong="G4160" we|strong="G3778" know|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G3778" love|strong="G0025" God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G5043"? We|strong="G3778" know|strong="G1097" because|strong="G3754" we|strong="G3778" love|strong="G0025" God|strong="G2316" and|strong="G2532" we|strong="G3778" obey|strong="G4160" his|strong="G0846" commands|strong="G1785".
3 Loving God|strong="G2316" means|strong="G1510" obeying his|strong="G0846" commands|strong="G1785". And|strong="G2532" God’s|strong="G2316" commands|strong="G1785" are|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" too|strong="G2532" hard for|strong="G1063" us,
4 because|strong="G3754" everyone|strong="G3956" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" a|strong="G1510" child|strong="G1080" of|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2316" the|strong="G3956" power to|strong="G2532" win against|strong="G1537" the|strong="G3956" world|strong="G2889".
5 It|strong="G1161" is|strong="G1510" our|strong="G2316" faith|strong="G4100" that|strong="G3754" has|strong="G2316" won the|strong="G3588" victory against|strong="G3361" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889". So|strong="G1161" who|strong="G3588" wins against|strong="G3361" the|strong="G3588" world|strong="G2889"? Only|strong="G1487" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" believe|strong="G4100" that|strong="G3754" Jesus|strong="G2424" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316".
6 Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G3778" who|strong="G3588" came|strong="G2064". He|strong="G2532" came|strong="G2064" with|strong="G1722" water|strong="G5204" and|strong="G2532" with|strong="G1722" blood|strong="G0129". He|strong="G2532" did|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" come|strong="G2064" by|strong="G1722" water|strong="G5204" only|strong="G3440". No|strong="G3756", Jesus|strong="G2424" came|strong="G2064" by|strong="G1722" both|strong="G2532" water|strong="G5204" and|strong="G2532" blood|strong="G0129". And|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151" tells us|strong="G1722" that|strong="G3754" this|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" true|strong="G0225". The|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" truth|strong="G0225".
7 So|strong="G3754" there|strong="G1510" are|strong="G1510" three|strong="G5140" witnesses|strong="G3140" that|strong="G3754" tell us about|strong="G3754" Jesus|strong="G1510":
8 the|strong="G3588" Spirit|strong="G4151", the|strong="G3588" water|strong="G5204", and|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" blood|strong="G0129". These|strong="G3588" three|strong="G5140" witnesses agree|strong="G1510".
9 We|strong="G3778" believe people|strong="G0444" when|strong="G1510" they|strong="G0846" say something|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" true. But|strong="G1487" what|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" says is|strong="G1510" more|strong="G3173" important|strong="G3173". And|strong="G2316" this|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" what|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" told us|strong="G4012": He|strong="G0846" told us|strong="G4012" the|strong="G3588" truth about|strong="G4012" his|strong="G0846" own|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207".
10 Whoever|strong="G3739" believes|strong="G4100" in|strong="G1722" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2192" the|strong="G3588" truth that|strong="G3754" God|strong="G2316" told us|strong="G4160". But|strong="G2316" people|strong="G0846" who|strong="G3739" do|strong="G4160" not|strong="G3756" believe|strong="G4100" God|strong="G2316" make|strong="G4160" God|strong="G2316" a|strong="G2192" liar|strong="G5583", because|strong="G3754" they|strong="G0846" do|strong="G4160" not|strong="G3756" believe|strong="G4100" what|strong="G3739" God|strong="G2316" told us|strong="G4160" about|strong="G4012" his|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207".
11 This|strong="G3778" is|strong="G1510" what|strong="G3588" God|strong="G2316" told us|strong="G1325": God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2316" given|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325" eternal|strong="G0166" life|strong="G2222", and|strong="G2532" this|strong="G3778" life|strong="G2222" is|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1722" his|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207".
12 Whoever|strong="G3588" has|strong="G2192" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" has|strong="G2192" life|strong="G2222", but|strong="G2316" whoever|strong="G3588" does|strong="G2192" not|strong="G3756" have|strong="G2192" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316" does|strong="G2192" not|strong="G3756" have|strong="G2192" life|strong="G2222".
13 I|strong="G3778" write|strong="G1125" this|strong="G3778" letter|strong="G1125" to|strong="G1519" you|strong="G5210" who|strong="G3588" believe|strong="G4100" in|strong="G1519" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316". I|strong="G3778" write|strong="G1125" so|strong="G2443" that|strong="G3754" you|strong="G5210" will|strong="G2316" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" you|strong="G5210" have|strong="G2192" eternal|strong="G0166" life|strong="G2222" now.
14 We|strong="G2249" can come|strong="G1510" to|strong="G4314" God|strong="G0846" with|strong="G4314" no doubts. This|strong="G3778" means|strong="G1510" that|strong="G3754" when|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" ask|strong="G0154" God|strong="G0846" for|strong="G3754" things|strong="G3778" (and|strong="G2532" those|strong="G3588" things|strong="G3778" agree|strong="G1510" with|strong="G4314" what|strong="G3739" God|strong="G0846" wants|strong="G2307" for|strong="G3754" us|strong="G0191"), God|strong="G0846" cares about|strong="G2596" what|strong="G3739" we|strong="G2249" say|strong="G1473".
15 He|strong="G2532" listens|strong="G0191" to|strong="G2532" us|strong="G0191" every|strong="G0191" time we|strong="G2249" ask|strong="G0154" him|strong="G0846". So|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" he|strong="G2532" gives us|strong="G0191" whatever|strong="G1437" we|strong="G2249" ask|strong="G0154" from|strong="G0575" him|strong="G0846".
16 Suppose you|strong="G1437" see|strong="G3708" your|strong="G1437" fellow believer sinning|strong="G0264" (sin|strong="G0266" that|strong="G2443" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" lead|strong="G1510" to|strong="G4314" eternal death|strong="G2288"). You|strong="G1437" should|strong="G5100" pray|strong="G2443" for|strong="G4012" them|strong="G0846". Then|strong="G2532" God|strong="G0846" will|strong="G1510" give|strong="G1325" them|strong="G0846" life|strong="G2222". I|strong="G1437" am|strong="G1510" talking|strong="G3004" about|strong="G4012" people|strong="G0846" whose|strong="G0846" sin|strong="G0266" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" lead|strong="G1510" to|strong="G4314" eternal death|strong="G2288". There|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" sin|strong="G0266" that|strong="G2443" leads to|strong="G4314" death|strong="G2288". I|strong="G1437" don’t|strong="G3756" mean|strong="G3004" that|strong="G2443" you|strong="G1437" should|strong="G5100" pray|strong="G2443" about|strong="G4012" that|strong="G2443" kind|strong="G5100" of|strong="G5100" sin|strong="G0266".
17 Doing|strong="G0093" wrong|strong="G0093" is|strong="G1510" always|strong="G3956" sin|strong="G0266". But|strong="G2532" there|strong="G1510" is|strong="G1510" sin|strong="G0266" that|strong="G3956" does|strong="G1510" not|strong="G3756" lead|strong="G1510" to|strong="G4314" eternal death|strong="G2288".
18 We|strong="G2532" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" those|strong="G3588" who|strong="G3588" have|strong="G2532" been|strong="G2532" made God’s|strong="G2316" children|strong="G1080" do|strong="G1492" not|strong="G3756" continue|strong="G2532" to|strong="G2532" sin|strong="G0264". The|strong="G3956" Son of|strong="G1537" God|strong="G2316" keeps|strong="G5083" them|strong="G0846" safe|strong="G5083". The|strong="G3956" Evil|strong="G4190" One|strong="G3588" cannot|strong="G3756" hurt them|strong="G0846".
19 We|strong="G2532" know|strong="G1492" that|strong="G3754" we|strong="G2532" belong|strong="G1510" to|strong="G2532" God|strong="G2316", but|strong="G2532" the|strong="G3588" Evil|strong="G4190" One|strong="G3588" controls the|strong="G3588" whole|strong="G3650" world|strong="G2889".
20 And|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" know|strong="G1097" that|strong="G3754" the|strong="G3588" Son|strong="G5207" of|strong="G5207" God|strong="G2316" has|strong="G2316" come|strong="G2240" and|strong="G2532" has|strong="G2316" given|strong="G1325" us|strong="G1325" understanding|strong="G1271". So|strong="G2443" now|strong="G1161" we|strong="G2249" can|strong="G1325" know|strong="G1097" the|strong="G3588" one|strong="G3778" who|strong="G3588" is|strong="G1510" true|strong="G0228", and|strong="G2532" we|strong="G2249" live in|strong="G1722" that|strong="G3754" true|strong="G0228" God|strong="G2316". We|strong="G2249" are|strong="G1510" in|strong="G1722" his|strong="G0846" Son|strong="G5207", Jesus|strong="G2424" Christ|strong="G5547". He|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" the|strong="G3588" true|strong="G0228" God|strong="G2316", and|strong="G2532" he|strong="G2532" is|strong="G1510" eternal|strong="G0166" life|strong="G2222".
21 So, dear children|strong="G5040", keep|strong="G5442" yourselves|strong="G1438" away|strong="G0575" from|strong="G0575" false gods.