1 John 1:5-2:14

English Standard Version

Walking in the Light

⁵^(A)This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that ^(B)God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶^(C)If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and ^(D)do not practice the truth. ⁷But ^(E)if we walk in the light, ^(F)as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and ^(G)the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸^(H)If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and ^(I)the truth is not in us. ⁹^(J)If we confess our sins, he is ^(K)faithful and just to forgive us our sins and ^(L)to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say we have not sinned, ^(M)we make him a liar, and ^(N)his word is not in us.

Christ Our Advocate

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, ^(O)we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ²^(P)He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^(Q)also for the sins of the whole world. ³And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we ^(R)keep his commandments. ⁴Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments ^(S)is a liar, and ^(T)the truth is not in him, ⁵but whoever ^(U)keeps his word, in him truly ^(V)the love of God is perfected. ^(W)By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶whoever says he ^(X)abides in him ^(Y)ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

⁷Beloved, I am writing you ^(Z)no new commandment, but ^(AA)an old commandment ^(AB)that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸At the same time, it is ^(AC)a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because^[a] ^(AD)the darkness is passing away and ^(AE)the true light is already shining. ⁹Whoever says he is in the light and ^(AF)hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him^[b] there is no ^(AG)cause for stumbling. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and ^(AH)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹²I am writing to you, little children,
    because ^(AI)your sins are forgiven for his name's sake.
¹³I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know ^(AJ)him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
    because ^(AK)you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
    because ^(AL)you know the Father.
¹⁴I write to you, fathers,
    because you know ^(AM)him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
    because ^(AN)you are strong,
    and the word of God abides in you,
    and you have overcome the evil one.