1 John 2:3-25

English Standard Version

³And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we ^(A)keep his commandments. ⁴Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments ^(B)is a liar, and ^(C)the truth is not in him, ⁵but whoever ^(D)keeps his word, in him truly ^(E)the love of God is perfected. ^(F)By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶whoever says he ^(G)abides in him ^(H)ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

⁷Beloved, I am writing you ^(I)no new commandment, but ^(J)an old commandment ^(K)that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸At the same time, it is ^(L)a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because^[a] ^(M)the darkness is passing away and ^(N)the true light is already shining. ⁹Whoever says he is in the light and ^(O)hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him^[b] there is no ^(P)cause for stumbling. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and ^(Q)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹²I am writing to you, little children,
    because ^(R)your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
¹³I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know ^(S)him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because ^(T)you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
    because ^(U)you know the Father.
¹⁴I write to you, fathers,
    because you know ^(V)him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
    because ^(W)you are strong,
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵^(X)Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^(Y)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world—^(Z)the desires of the flesh and ^(AA)the desires of the eyes and pride of life^[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷And ^(AB)the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Warning Concerning Antichrists

¹⁸Children, ^(AC)it is the last hour, and as you have heard that ^(AD)antichrist is coming, so now ^(AE)many antichrists have come. ^(AF)Therefore we know that it is the last hour. ¹⁹^(AG)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(AH)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, ^(AI)that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰But you have been ^(AJ)anointed by ^(AK)the Holy One, and ^(AL)you all have knowledge.^[d] ²¹I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²²Who is the liar but ^(AM)he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is ^(AN)the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ²³^(AO)No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴Let ^(AP)what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then ^(AQ)you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵And this is the promise that he made to us^[e]—^(AR)eternal life.