| International Standard Version | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1See what kind of love the Father has given us: We are called God's children—and that is what we are! For this reason the world does not recognize us, because it did not recognize him, either. | 1Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God's children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn't know Him. |
| 2Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we will be like has not been revealed yet. We know that when the Messiah is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. | 2Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him because we will see Him as He is. |
| 3And everyone who has this hope based on him keeps himself pure, just as the Messiah is pure. | 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself just as He is pure. |
| 4Everyone who keeps living in sin also practices disobedience. In fact, sin is disobedience. | 4Everyone who commits sin also breaks the law; sin is the breaking of law. |
| 5You know that the Messiah was revealed to take away sins, and there is not any sin in him. | 5You know that He was revealed so that He might take away sins, and there is no sin in Him. |
| 6No one who remains in union with him keeps on sinning. The one who keeps on sinning hasn't seen him or known him. | 6Everyone who remains in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him or known Him. |
| 7Little children, don't let anyone deceive you. The person who practices righteousness is righteous, just as the Messiah is righteous. | 7Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. |
| 8The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy what the devil has been doing. | 8The one who commits sin is of the Devil, for the Devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil's works. |
| 9No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God's seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God. | 9Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. |
| 10This is how God's children and the devil's children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God. | 10This is how God's children--and the Devil's children--are made evident. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother. |
| 11This is the message that you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. | 11For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, |
| 12Do not be like Cain, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because what he was doing was evil and his brother's actions were righteous. | 12unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous. |
| 13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. | 13Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. |
| 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love one another. The person who does not love remains spiritually dead. | 14We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. |
| 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life present in him. | 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. |
| 16This is how we have come to know love: the Messiah gave his life for us. We, too, ought to give our lives for our brothers. | 16This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers. |
| 17Whoever has earthly possessions and notices a brother in need and yet withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God be present in him? | 17If anyone has this world's goods and sees his brother in need but closes his eyes to his need--how can God's love reside in him? |
| 18Little children, we must stop expressing love merely by our words and manner of speech; we must love also in action and in truth. | 18Little children, we must not love with word or speech, but with truth and action. |
| 19This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be able to keep ourselves strong in his presence. | 19This is how we will know we belong to the truth and will convince our conscience in His presence, |
| 20If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows everything. | 20even if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience, and He knows all things. |
| 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God. | 21Dear friends, if our conscience doesn't condemn us, we have confidence before God |
| 22Whatever we request we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. | 22and can receive whatever we ask from Him because we keep His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight. |
| 23And this is his commandment: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus the Messiah, and to love one another as he commanded us. | 23Now this is His command: that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded us. |
| 24The person who keeps his commandments abides in God, and God abides in him. This is how we can be sure that he remains in us: he has given us his Spirit. | 24The one who keeps His commands remains in Him, and He in him. And the way we know that He remains in us is from the Spirit He has given us. |
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