| New King James Version | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Behold 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. | 1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. |
| 2Beloved, 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. | 2Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is. |
| 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. | 3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure. |
| 4Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. | 4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness. |
| 5And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. | 5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin. |
| 6Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. | 6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him. |
| 7Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. | 7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. |
| 8He 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. | 8The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil. |
| 9Whoever 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. | 9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. |
| 10In 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. | 10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother. |
| 11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, | 11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. |
| 12not 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. | 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. |
| 13Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. | 13So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. |
| 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. | 14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. |
| 15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. | 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer. |
| 16By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. | 16By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. |
| 17But 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? | 17If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him? |
| 18My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. | 18Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth. |
| 19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. | 19And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence: |
| 20For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. | 20Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things. |
| 21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. | 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God, |
| 22And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. | 22and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. |
| 23And 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. | 23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us. |
| 24Now 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. | 24Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us. |
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