1 John 1-2

New American Standard Bible

The Incarnate Word

1 What was ^(A)from the beginning, what we have ^(B)heard, what we have ^(C)seen with our eyes, what we ^(D)have looked at and ^(E)touched with our hands, concerning the ^(F)Word of Life— ² and ^(G)the life was revealed, and we have ^(H)seen and ^(I)testify and proclaim to you ^(J)the eternal life, which was ^(K)with the Father and was ^(L)revealed to us— ³ what we have ^(M)seen and ^(N)heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our ^(O)fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ^4 (P)These things we write, so that our ^(Q)joy may be made complete.

God Is Light

^5 (R)This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that ^(S)God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. ^6 (T)If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we ^(U)lie and ^(V)do not practice the truth; ⁷ but if we ^(W)walk in the Light as ^(X)He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and ^(Y)the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ^8 (Z)If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the ^(AA)truth is not in us. ^9 (AB)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and ^(AC)cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ^10 (AD)If we say that we have not sinned, we ^(AE)make Him a liar and ^(AF)His word is not in us.

Christ Is Our Advocate

2 ^(AG)My little children, I am ^(AH)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, ^(AI)we have an ^[a](AJ)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ² and He Himself is ^(AK)the ^[b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also ^(AL)for the sins of the whole world.

^3 (AM)By this we know that we have come to ^(AN)know Him, if we ^(AO)keep His commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “^(AP)I have come to ^(AQ)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a ^(AR)liar, and ^(AS)the truth is not in him; ⁵ but whoever ^(AT)follows His word, in him the ^(AU)love of God has truly been perfected. ^(AV)By this we know that we are in Him: ⁶ the one who says that he ^(AW)remains in Him ^(AX)ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.

^7 (AY)Beloved, I am ^(AZ)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^(BA)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. ^8 [c]On the other hand, I am writing ^(BB)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because ^(BC)the darkness is passing away and ^(BD)the true Light is already shining. ⁹ The one who says that he is in the Light and yet ^(BE)hates his ^(BF)brother or sister is in the darkness until now. ^10 (BG)The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. ¹¹ But the one who ^(BH)hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and ^(BI)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has ^(BJ)blinded his eyes.

¹² I am writing to you, ^(BK)little children, because ^(BL)your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him ^(BM)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because ^(BN)you have overcome ^(BO)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because ^(BP)you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him ^(BQ)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are ^(BR)strong, and the ^(BS)word of God remains in you, and ^(BT)you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love ^(BU)the world nor the things in the world. ^(BV)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, ^(BW)the lust of the flesh and ^(BX)the lust of the eyes and ^(BY)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ^17 (BZ)The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who ^(CA)does the will of God continues to live forever.

¹⁸ Children, ^(CB)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that ^(CC)antichrist is coming, ^(CD)even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. ^19 (CE)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, ^(CF)so that ^[d]it would be evident that they all are not of us. ^20 [e]But you have an ^(CG)anointing from ^(CH)the Holy One, and ^(CI)you all know. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but ^(CJ)because you do know it, and ^[f]because no lie is ^(CK)of the truth. ²² Who is the liar except ^(CL)the one who denies that Jesus is the ^[g]Christ? This is ^(CM)the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (CN)Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ As for you, see that what you heard ^(CO)from the beginning remains in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also ^(CP)will remain in the Son and in the Father.

The Promise Is Eternal Life

^25 (CQ)This is the promise which He Himself ^[h]made to us: eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to ^(CR)deceive you. ²⁷ And as for you, the ^(CS)anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing ^(CT)teaches you about all things, and is ^(CU)true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, ^[i]you remain in Him.

²⁸ Now, ^(CV)little children, remain in Him, so that when He ^(CW)appears, we may have ^(CX)confidence and ^(CY)not ^[j]draw back from Him in shame ^[k]at His ^(CZ)coming. ²⁹ If you know that ^(DA)He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also ^(DB)has been born of Him.