1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him. 6 Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God. 10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother. 11 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another— 12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

13 Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

16 By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him, 20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; 22 so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. 24 He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.

1 Vaadake, missuguse armastuse Isa on meile andnud, et meid hüütakse Jumala lasteks! Ja seda me olemegi. Sellepärast maailm ei tunne meid, sest ta ei tunne Teda.

2 Armsad, me oleme nüüd Jumala lapsed ega ole veel saanud avalikuks, mis me tulevikus oleme; aga me teame, et me Tema ilmudes oleme Tema sarnased, sest me näeme siis Teda nagu Tema on.

3 Ja igaüks, kellel on niisugune lootus Tema peale, puhastab ennast, nõnda nagu Temagi on puhas.

4 Igaüks, kes pattu teeb, teeb ka seda, mis on käsu vastu; ja patt on see, mis on käsu vastu.

5 Ja te teate, et Tema on ilmunud patte ära võtma; ja Temas ei ole pattu.

6 Ükski, kes jääb Tema sisse, ei tee pattu; ükski, kes pattu teeb, ei ole teda näinud ega Teda tundnud.

7 Lapsukesed, ärgu ükski teid eksitagu! Kes teeb õigust, see on õige, nõnda nagu Temagi on õige.

8 Kes pattu teeb, see on kuradist; sest kurat teeb pattu algusest saadik. Selleks on Jumala Poeg ilmunud, et Ta tühistaks kuradi teod.

9 Ükski, kes on Jumalast sündinud, ei tee pattu, sest tema seeme püsib Temas ja ta ei või pattu teha, sellepärast et ta on Jumalast sündinud.

10 Sellest ilmneb, kummad on Jumala lapsed ja kummad kuradi lapsed. Ükski, kes ei tee õigust, ei ole Jumalast, ega see, kes ei armasta oma venda.

11 Sest see on sõnum, mida te algusest saadik olete kuulnud, et me peame üksteist armastama;

12 mitte nõnda, nagu Kain, kes oli tigedast ja tappis oma venna. Ja mispärast ta tappis tema? Sellepärast et tema teod olid kurjad ja tema venna teod õiged.

13 Ärge pange imeks, vennad, kui maailm teid vihkab!

14 Me teame, et oleme tulnud surmast elusse, sest me armastame vendi; kes venda ei armasta, see jääb surmasse.

15 Igaüks, kes vihkab oma venda, on inimesetapja; ja te teate, et ühelgi inimesetapjal ei ole igavest elu, mis temasse jääks.

16 Sellest me oleme ära tundnud Jumala armastuse, et Tema Oma elu on jätnud meie eest; ja meiegi peame jätma elu vendade eest.

17 Kui nüüd kellelgi on selle maailma vara ja ta näeb oma venna puuduses olevat ja suleb oma südame tema eest, kuidas saab Jumala armastus jääda temasse?

18 Lapsukesed, ärgem armastagem sõnaga ega keelega, vaid teoga ja tõega!

19 Sellest me tunneme, et oleme tõe seest ja võime vaigistada tema ees oma südant,

20 et kui meie süda meid hukka mõistab, Jumal on suurem kui meie süda ja teab kõik.

21 Armsad, kui meie süda meid hukka ei mõista, on meil julgus Jumala ees,

22 ja mida me iganes palume, seda me saame Temalt, sest me peame Tema käske ja teeme, mis on Temale meelepärast.

23 Ja see on Tema käsk, et me peame uskuma Tema Poja Jeesuse Kristuse nimesse ja armastama üksteist, nagu Tema meile on käsu andnud.

24 Ja kes peab Tema käske, see jääb Temasse ja Tema sellesse. Ja sellest me tunneme, et Tema jääb meisse, sellest Vaimust, Kelle Ta meile on andnud.