1 John 5

1Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whosoever loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those who are born of Him.

2Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments.

2This is how we know we love God’s children: by loving God and following His commands.

3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

3Loving God means keeping His commands, and His commands are not a heavy burden to carry.

4For whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.

4Every child of God conquers the world, and our faith is the power that has won the victory over the world.

5And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

5Who is the person who conquers the world? It is only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

6This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.

6Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is truth.

7And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

7So there are three witnesses:

8For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.

8the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are in complete agreement.

9If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of God is this, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son.

9If we accept the testimony of human witnesses, God’s testimony is even greater; and this is God’s testimony: what He has said about His Son.

10He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning his Son.

10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in their heart. Anyone who does not believe God has called Him a liar, because they have not believed what God said about His Son.

11And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.

12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

13These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

13I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know for sure that you have eternal life.

14And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:

14We can be confident in God’s presence, knowing that if we ask for anything that matches His will, He hears us.

15and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

15And if we know He hears us whenever we ask, we can be certain that He will give us what we have asked of Him.

16If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: not concerning this do I say that he should make request.

16If you see a fellow believer committing a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give life to that person. This applies to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray about that.

17All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

17Every wrong act is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

18We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not.

18We know that those who are born of God do not make a habit of sinning. The Son of God protects them, and the evil one cannot harm them.

19We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one.

19We know that we belong to God, even though the whole world is under the control of the evil one.

20And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

20We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And we live in union with the true God through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

21My little children, guard yourselves from idols.

21Dear children, keep yourselves away from idols.