1 John · Berean Standard Bible
1 John 2 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
1 Τεκνία μου, ταῦτα γράφω ὑμῖν ἵνα μὴ ἁμάρτητε· καὶ ἐάν τις ἁμάρτῃ, παράκλητον ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα, Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν δίκαιον·
2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
2 καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν, οὐ περὶ τῶν ἡμετέρων δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου.
3 By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
3 καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐγνώκαμεν αὐτόν, ἐὰν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηρῶμεν.
4 If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
4 ὁ λέγων, ἔγνωκα αὐτόν, καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ μὴ τηρῶν, ψεύστης ἐστί, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀλήθεια οὐκ ἔστιν·
5 But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
5 ὃς δ᾽ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ τετελείωται. ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν.
6 Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
6 ὁ λέγων ἐν αὐτῷ μένειν ὀφείλει, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος περιεπάτησε, καὶ αὐτὸς οὕτω περιπατεῖν.
7 Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.
7 Ἀδελφοί, οὐκ ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐντολὴν παλαιάν, ἣν εἴχετε ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς· ἡ ἐντολὴ ἡ παλαιά ἐστιν ὁ λόγος ὃν ἠκούσατε ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς.
8 Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.
8 πάλιν ἐντολὴν καινὴν γράφω ὑμῖν, ὅ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐν ὑμῖν, ὅτι ἡ σκοτία παράγεται καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν ἤδη φαίνει.
9 If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
9 ὁ λέγων ἐν τῷ φωτὶ εἶναι, καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῶν, ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶν ἕως ἄρτι.
10 Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.
10 ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ μένει, καὶ σκάνδαλον ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν·
11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
11 ὁ δὲ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ ἐστὶ καὶ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ περιπατεῖ, καὶ οὐκ οἶδε ποῦ ὑπάγει, ὅτι ἡ σκοτία ἐτύφλωσε τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.
12 Γράφω ὑμῖν, τεκνία, ὅτι ἀφέωνται ὑμῖν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι διὰ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
13 γράφω ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς. γράφω ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
14 ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν πατέρα. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, νεανίσκοι, ὅτι ἰσχυροί ἐστε καὶ ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν μένει καὶ νενικήκατε τὸν πονηρόν.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
15 μὴ ἀγαπᾶτε τὸν κόσμον μηδὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ. ἐάν τις ἀγαπᾷ τὸν κόσμον, οὐκ ἔστιν ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ πατρὸς ἐν αὐτῷ·
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
16 ὅτι πᾶν τὸ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ, ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν καὶ ἡ ἀλαζονεία τοῦ βίου, οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ πατρός, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου ἐστί.
17 The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
17 καὶ ὁ κόσμος παράγεται καὶ ἡ ἐπιθυμία αὐτοῦ· ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα.
18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
18 Παιδία, ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστί, καὶ καθὼς ἠκούσατε ὅτι ὁ ἀντίχριστος ἔρχεται, καὶ νῦν ἀντίχριστοι πολλοὶ γεγόνασιν· ὅθεν γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐσχάτη ὥρα ἐστὶν.
19 They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
19 ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξῆλθον, ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν· εἰ γὰρ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν, μεμενήκεισαν ἂν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν· ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα φανερωθῶσιν ὅτι οὐκ εἰσὶ πάντες ἐξ ἡμῶν.
20 You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
20 καὶ ὑμεῖς χρῖσμα ἔχετε ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου, καὶ οἴδατε πάντα.
21 I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
21 οὐκ ἔγραψα ὑμῖν ὅτι οὐκ οἴδατε τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι οἴδατε αὐτήν, καὶ ὅτι πᾶν ψεῦδος ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐκ ἔστι.
22 Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
22 τίς ἐστιν ὁ ψεύστης εἰ μὴ ὁ ἀρνούμενος ὅτι Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Χριστός; οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀντίχριστος, ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὸν υἱόν.
23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
23 πᾶς ὁ ἀρνούμενος τὸν υἱὸν οὐδὲ τὸν πατέρα ἔχει.
24 As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
24 Ὑμεῖς οὖν ὃ ἠκούσατε ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, ἐν ὑμῖν μενέτω. ἐὰν ἐν ὑμῖν μείνῃ ὃ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ἠκούσατε, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῷ υἱῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ μενεῖτε.
25 And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
25 καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐπαγγελία ἣν αὐτὸς ἐπηγγείλατο ἡμῖν, τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον.
26 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
26 Ταῦτα ἔγραψα ὑμῖν περὶ τῶν πλανώντων ὑμᾶς.
27 And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
27 καὶ ὑμεῖς, τὸ χρῖσμα ὃ ἐλάβετε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ἐν ὑμῖν μένει, καὶ οὐ χρείαν ἔχετε ἵνα τις διδάσκῃ ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς τὸ αὐτὸ χρῖσμα διδάσκει ὑμᾶς περὶ πάντων, καὶ ἀληθές ἐστι καὶ οὐκ ἔστι ψεῦδος, καὶ καθὼς ἐδίδαξεν ὑμᾶς μενεῖτε ἐν αὐτῷ.
28 And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
28 Καὶ νῦν, τεκνία, μένετε ἐν αὐτῷ, ἵνα ὅταν φανερωθῇ ἔχωμεν παρρησίαν καὶ μὴ αἰσχυνθῶμεν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ παρουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ.
29 If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
29 ἐὰν εἰδῆτε ὅτι δίκαιός ἐστι, γινώσκετε ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεγέννηται.
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Timothy 2:5; Romans 8:34; John 14:6; 1 John 1:8–10; Hebrews 7:24–26
- 2 1 John 4:14; 1 Peter 3:18; John 1:29; 1 John 4:10; 1 Peter 2:24
- 3 John 14:15; John 15:10; 1 John 5:3; Luke 6:46; 1 John 4:13
- 4 1 John 1:6; Titus 1:16; James 2:14–16; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 4:20
- 5 John 14:23; John 14:21; 1 John 4:12–13; Luke 11:28; 1 John 3:24
- 6 1 Peter 2:21; John 13:15; 1 Corinthians 11:1; 1 John 3:6; John 15:4–6
- 7 1 John 3:11; Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:29–34; 2 John 5–6; Romans 13:8–10
- 8 Ephesians 5:8; Romans 13:12; John 13:34; John 8:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4–6
- 9 1 John 4:20; 1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:13–17; Psalm 82:5; 1 Corinthians 13:1–3
- 10 1 John 3:14; Romans 9:32–33; Romans 14:13; Hosea 6:3; Matthew 18:7
- 11 John 12:35; Titus 3:3; Revelation 3:17; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:9
- 12 Acts 10:43; Acts 13:38; Ephesians 1:7; Psalm 106:8; Acts 4:12
- 13 John 14:7; 1 John 2:14; Luke 10:22; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 1:1
- 14 Psalm 119:11; 1 John 2:13; Colossians 3:16; John 15:7; Ephesians 6:10
- 15 James 4:4; Romans 12:2; Matthew 6:24; Colossians 3:1–2; Luke 16:13
- 16 Romans 13:14; Galatians 5:17; Psalm 119:36–37; Genesis 3:6; Proverbs 27:20
- 17 Matthew 24:35; 1 Corinthians 7:31; Romans 12:2; 1 Peter 4:2; Hebrews 10:36
- 18 1 John 4:3; 2 John 7; 1 John 2:22; Matthew 24:24; Matthew 24:5
- 19 Acts 20:30; 1 Corinthians 11:19; Jude 19; Luke 8:13; 2 Peter 2:20–21
- 20 1 John 2:27; John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22; Isaiah 61:1; Psalm 23:5
- 21 2 Peter 1:12; Jude 5; Proverbs 1:5; Proverbs 9:8–9; Romans 15:14–15
- 22 2 John 7; 1 John 4:3; 1 John 2:18; Jude 4; 1 John 2:23
- 23 1 John 4:15; John 8:19; John 5:23; John 10:30; John 15:23–24
- 24 John 14:23; John 15:9–10; 1 John 4:13; 1 John 4:16; 2 John 5–6
- 25 John 10:28; Titus 3:7; Jude 21; John 17:2–3; Titus 1:2
- 26 2 Peter 2:1–3; 2 John 7; 1 John 3:7; Acts 20:29–30; Mark 13:22
- 27 John 14:26; 1 John 2:20–21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; John 16:13; Jeremiah 31:33–34
- 28 1 John 4:17; Mark 8:38; 1 Thessalonians 3:13; 1 John 3:2; 1 John 3:21
- 29 John 3:3–5; 1 John 3:7; John 1:13; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 4:7
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
"I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven through His name. I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, children, because ye have known the Father.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
Verily, Thou commandest that I should be continent from the "lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." Thou hast commanded me to abstain from concubinage; and as to marriage itself, Thou hast advised something better than Thou hast allowed.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
… Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation: and, We bow our knees unto the Father from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named: glorifying Him with the Only-begotten: for he that denieth the Father, denieth the Son also: and again, He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also; knowing that Jesus …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
… wear the Body which He assumed, until He make me God by the power of His Incarnation; although He is no longer known after the flesh --I mean, the passions of the flesh, the same, except sin, as ours. Thus too, we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ, not indeed prostrating Himself for us before the Father, and falling down before …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
There remain the delights of these eyes of my flesh, concerning which to make my confessions in the hearing of the ears of Thy temple, those fraternal and devout ears; and so to conclude the temptations of "the lust of the flesh" which still assail me, groaning and desiring to be clothed upon with my house from heaven.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)