| 1 | Everyone who believes (adheres to, trusts, and relies on the fact) that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah) is a born-again child of God; and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him (His offspring). |
| 2 | By this we come to know (recognize and understand) that we love the children of God: when we love God and obey His commands (orders, charges)—[when we keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and His teaching]. |
| 3 | For the [true] love of God is this: that we do His commands [keep His ordinances and are mindful of His precepts and teaching]. And these orders of His are not irksome (burdensome, oppressive, or grievous). |
| 4 | For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that conquers the world, even our faith. |
| 5 | Who is it that is victorious over [that conquers] the world but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on that fact]? |
| 6 | This is He Who came by (with) water and blood [
[a]His baptism and His death], Jesus Christ (the Messiah)—not by (in) the water only, but by (in) the water and the blood. And it is the [Holy] Spirit Who bears witness, because the [Holy] Spirit is the Truth. |
| 7 | So there are three witnesses
[b]
in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One;
|
| 8 |
and there are three witnesses on the earth
: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree [are in unison; their testimony coincides]. |
| 9 | If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [if we are willing to take human authority], the testimony of God is greater (of stronger authority), for this is the testimony of God, even the witness which He has borne regarding His Son. |
| 10 | He who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] has the testimony [possesses this divine attestation] within himself. He who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him out to be
and
represented Him as a liar, because he has not believed (put his faith in, adhered to, and relied on) the evidence (the testimony) that God has borne regarding His Son. |
| 11 | And this is that testimony (that evidence): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. |
| 12 | He who possesses the Son has that life; he who does not possess the Son of God does not have that life. |
| 13 | I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God [in
[c]the peculiar services and blessings conferred by Him on men], so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life,
[d]yes, eternal life. |
| 14 | And this is the confidence (the assurance, the privilege of boldness) which we have in Him: [we are sure] that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan), He listens to
and
hears us. |
| 15 | And if (since) we [positively] know that He listens to us in whatever we ask, we also know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted us as our present possessions] the requests made of Him. |
| 16 | If anyone sees his brother [believer] committing a sin that does not [lead to] death (the extinguishing of life), he will pray and [God] will give him life [yes, He will grant life to all those whose sin is not one leading to death]. There is a sin [that leads] to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. |
| 17 | All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin which does not [involve] death [that may be repented of and forgiven]. |
| 18 | We know [absolutely] that anyone born of God does not [deliberately and knowingly] practice committing sin, but the One Who was begotten of God carefully watches over
and
protects him [Christ’s divine presence within him preserves him against the evil], and the wicked one does not lay hold (get a grip) on him
or
touch [him]. |
| 19 | We know [positively] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] is under the power of the evil one. |
| 20 | And we [have seen and] know [positively] that the Son of God has [actually] come to this world and has given us understanding
and
insight [progressively] to perceive (recognize)
and
come to know better
and
more clearly Him Who is true; and we are in Him Who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ (the Messiah). This [Man] is the true God and Life eternal. |
| 21 | Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods)—[from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life].
Amen (so let it be).
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