1 John 2

1My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

1My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have someone who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the righteous one.

2and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

2He is the sacrifice that takes away our sins, and not just our sins, but the sins of the entire world.

3And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

3We can be sure that we know him if we obey his commands.

4He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

4Anyone who says, 'I know him,' but does not obey his commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.

5but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him:

5But those who obey his word truly show that God’s love has reached its goal in them. This is how we know we are living in him:

6he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.

6Whoever claims to live in him must live their life just as Jesus did.

7Beloved, no new commandment write I unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye heard.

7Dear friends, I am not writing a new command to you, but an old one that you have had from the very beginning. This old command is the message you have already heard.

8Again, a new commandment write I unto you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light already shineth.

8Yet I am also writing a new command to you; its truth is seen in Christ and in you, because the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.

9He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in the darkness even until now.

9Anyone who says they are in the light but hates a fellow believer is still in the darkness.

10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

10Those who love their fellow believers live in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.

11But he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

11But those who hate a fellow believer are in the darkness. They wander around in the dark and do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

12I write unto you, my little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

12I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven for the sake of his name.

13I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.

13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have defeated the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.

14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.

14I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, because you are strong, God’s word lives in you, and you have defeated the evil one.

15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

15Do not love this world or the things it offers. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.

16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

16For everything in the world—the craving for physical pleasure, the craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions—comes not from the Father but from the world.

17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

17This world and its desires are passing away, but those who do what God wants will live forever.

18Little children, it is the last hour: and as ye heard that antichrist cometh, even now have there arisen many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last hour.

18Dear children, the end is near. You heard that the enemy of Christ is coming, and even now many such enemies have appeared. This is how we know the end is near.

19They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.

19These people left our group, but they never really belonged to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have stayed. By leaving, they showed that none of them truly belonged to us.

20And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

20But you have been given a special gift of the Spirit from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

21I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

21I am not writing to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you do know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth.

22Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.

22Who is the liar? It is anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the enemy of Christ—one who denies both the Father and the Son.

23Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.

23Anyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24As for you, let that abide in you which ye heard from the beginning. If that which ye heard from the beginning abide in you, ye also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.

24Make sure that what you heard from the beginning stays in your heart. If what you heard from the beginning stays in you, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.

25And this is the promise which he promised us, even the life eternal.

25And this is what he himself promised us: eternal life.

26These things have I written unto you concerning them that would lead you astray.

26I am writing these things to warn you about those who are trying to lead you down the wrong path.

27And as for you, the anointing which ye received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, and is true, and is no lie, and even as it taught you, ye abide in him.

27As for you, the special gift of the Spirit you received from him remains in you, so you do not need anyone to teach you. His Spirit teaches you about everything—and what he teaches is true, not a lie. So, just as he has taught you, remain in him.

28And now, my little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

28And now, dear children, remain in him so that when he appears we may be confident and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes.

29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him.

29Since you know that God is righteous, you also know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.