⁴ Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.^{(A) 5} But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.^(B) And in him is no sin.^{(C) 6} No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.^(D) No one who continues to sin has either seen him^(E) or known him.^(F)

⁷ Dear children,^(G) do not let anyone lead you astray.^(H) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.^{(I) 8} The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,^(J) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God^(K) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.^{(L) 9} No one who is born of God^(M) will continue to sin,^(N) because God’s seed^(O) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. ¹⁰ This is how we know who the children of God^(P) are and who the children of the devil^(Q) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love^(R) their brother and sister.^(S)

More on Love and Hatred

¹¹ For this is the message you heard^(T) from the beginning:^(U) We should love one another.^{(V) 12} Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one^(W) and murdered his brother.^(X) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.^{(Y) 13} Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,^[a] if the world hates you.^{(Z) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life,^(AA) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.^{(AB) 15} Anyone who hates a brother or sister^(AC) is a murderer,^(AD) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^(AE)

¹⁶ This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.^(AF) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.^{(AG) 17} If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,^(AH) how can the love of God be in that person?^{(AI) 18} Dear children,^(AJ) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.^(AK)

¹⁹ This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: ²⁰ If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends,^(AL) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God^{(AM) 22} and receive from him anything we ask,^(AN) because we keep his commands^(AO) and do what pleases him.^(AP)