1 My little children, I write this to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

2 And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

3 Now by this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4 He who says, »I know him,« but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5 But whoever keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in him:

6 he who says he abides in him ought to walk as he walked.

7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

8 Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

9 He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still.

10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

11 But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I write to you, little children,because your sins are forgiven youfor his name's sake.

13 I write to you, fathers,because you have known himwho is from the beginning.I write to you, young men,because you have overcome the evil one.

14 I wrote to you, little children,because you have known the Father.I wrote to you, fathers,because you have known himwho is from the beginning.I wrote to you, young men,because you are strong,and the word of God abides in you,and you have overcome the evil one.

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

18 Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come; by this we know that it is the last hour.

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that it might be plain that none of them were of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.

21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

22 Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the Antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son.

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

25 And this is what he has promised us—eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you about those who try to deceive you.

27 But the anointing which you have received from him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

29 If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does right is born of him.