1My dear children, I'm writing this to you so you shouldn't sin. But if anybody should happen to sin, we have someone who defends us before the Father—Jesus Christ, who is truly good and right.

2Through him our sins are forgiven—and not only our sins, but those of the whole world.

3We can be sure that we do know him if we follow his commands.

4Anyone who says, “I know him,” but doesn't do what he says, is a liar. They don't have the truth.

5But those who follow God's word have his love totally fill their minds. This is how we know that we live in him.

6Whoever claims to be living in him should behave like Jesus.

7My friends, I'm not writing to you giving some new commandment, but an old commandment you've had from the beginning. This old commandment is one you have already heard.

8But in a sense I am giving you a new commandment. Its truth is revealed in Jesus and in you, for the darkness is coming to an end and the true light is already shining.

9Those who say they live in the light but hate a fellow Christian ⁴still have the darkness inside them.

10Those who love their fellow Christians live in the light, and don't cause others to sin. ⁵

11Those who hate a fellow Christian are in darkness. They stumble around in the dark, not knowing where they're going because the darkness has blinded them.

12Dear friends, I'm writing to you children, ⁶for your sins have been forgiven through the name of Jesus.

13I'm writing to you fathers, for you know him who has existed from the beginning. I'm writing to you young people, for you have defeated the evil one.

14I write to you little children, for you know the Father. I write to you fathers, for you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you young people, for you are strong. The word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the evil one.

15Don't be in love with the world, and don't long for the things of this world. If you love the world, you won't have the Father's love in you.

16For all the things of this world—our sinful desires, wanting everything we see, boasting about what we've accomplished in life— these things don't come from the Father but from the world.

17The world and its evil desires are coming to an end, but those who do the will of God will live forever.

18Dear friends, this is the last hour. As you've heard, the antichrist is coming. Many antichrists have already come. This is how we know this is the last hour.

19They left us, but they didn't belong with us, for if they did, they would have remained with us. When they left they showed that none of them belonged with us.

20But you have been anointed ⁷with the Holy Spirit's blessing, and all of you know what's true.

21I'm not writing because you don't know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.

22Who is the liar?—anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ. ⁸The antichrist is anyone who denies the Father and the Son.

23Anyone that denies the Son does not have the Father; anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father too.

24As for you, make sure what you heard from the beginning continues to live in you. If what you heard from the beginning lives in you, you will also live in the Son and in the Father.

25Eternal life—this is what he has promised us!

26I'm writing this to warn you against those who want to lead you astray.

27But the anointing you received from him means the Spirit ⁹lives in you, and you don't need to be taught by anyone. The Spirit's anointing teaches you about everything. It is the truth and not a lie. So live in Christ, just as you've been taught!

28Now, my dear friends, continue to live in Christ, so that when he appears, we can be confident and not feel ashamed before him at his coming.

29If you know he is good and right, ¹⁰then you also know that everyone who does what is right has been born of God.