1 John 3

Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1Look at how much the Father loves us! He calls us His children. And that is what we are. The world does not know us, because it never knew Him.

2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

2Dear friends, right now we are God's children. What we will be later has not been shown yet. But we know this: when Jesus comes, we will be like Him. We will see Him just as He really is.

3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

3Everyone who hopes for this keeps himself clean inside. Jesus is clean and good, and they want to be too.

4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

4Everyone who keeps on doing wrong is breaking God's rules. Doing wrong is the same as breaking God's rules.

5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

5You know that Jesus came to take our wrongs away. There is nothing wrong in Him at all.

6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

6No one who stays close to Jesus keeps on doing wrong. Whoever keeps doing wrong has not seen Him or known Him.

7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

7Dear children, do not let anyone fool you. The person who does what is right is right, just as Jesus is right.

8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

8The person who keeps doing wrong belongs to the devil. The devil has been doing wrong since the very start. God's Son came to wreck the devil's work.

9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

9Anyone who is God's child does not keep on doing wrong. What God put inside him stays there. He cannot go on doing wrong, because God gave him new life.

10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

10This is how you can tell God's children from the devil's children. Anyone who does not do what is right does not belong to God. Neither does anyone who does not love his brother.

11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

11Here is the message you heard from the very beginning. We should love one another.

12Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

12Do not be like Cain. He belonged to the evil one, and he killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because Cain did bad things, and his brother did right things.

13Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

13My brothers and sisters, do not be surprised if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

14We know we have moved from death into life. We know it because we love each other. Whoever does not love is still in death.

15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

15Anyone who hates his brother is a killer inside. And you know that no killer has life that lasts forever in him.

16Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

16This is how we learned what love is. Jesus gave up His life for us. So we should be ready to give up our lives for each other.

17But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

17Someone may have enough money and things. He sees his brother who needs help, but he will not care or share. How can God's love be living in him?

NoteThe old wording says "shutteth up his bowels of compassion." Long ago people thought of deep feelings as coming from inside the belly. It means closing off your kindness.

18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

18My dear children, let us not love only with words. Let us love by what we do, and let it be real.

19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

19This is how we know that we belong to the truth. This is how our hearts feel calm when we stand before God.

20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

20Even if our own heart says we are guilty, God is greater than our heart. He knows everything.

21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

21Dear friends, if our heart does not say we are guilty, we can come to God without fear.

22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

22And we get from Him whatever we ask. That is because we obey Him and do what makes Him glad.

23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

23This is what He tells us to do. Trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. And love one another, just as He told us to do.

24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

24Whoever obeys Him stays close to God, and God stays close to him. Here is how we know God stays in us. He gave us His Spirit.