Overcoming the World

1Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone loving the One having begotten also loves the one having been born of Him. 2In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we should keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4For everyone having been born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory having overcome the world: our† faith.

5Now who is the one overcoming the world, except the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God? 6This is the One having come by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not in water only, but in water and in blood. And the Spirit is the One testifying, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three testifying:† 8the Spirit and the water and the blood—and the three are into the one.

God’s Testimony about His Son

9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because this is the testimony of God that He has testified concerning His Son. 10The one believing in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one not believing God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning His Son.

11And this is the testimony: that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12The one having the Son has life; the one not having the Son of God does not have life.

Effective Prayer

13I wrote these things to you⁺, the ones believing in the name of the Son of God, so that you⁺ may know that you⁺ have eternal life.† 14And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we may ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we may ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked from Him.

16If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and He will give to him life—to those sinning not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that he should implore concerning that. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not unto death.

The True God

18We know that everyone having been born of God does not sin, but the One having been begotten of God keeps him,† and the evil one† does not touch him. 19We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the evil one. 20Now we know that the Son of God is come, and He has given to us understanding, so that we may know the One who is true; and we are in the One who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

21Little children, guard yourselves from idols.†

Footnotes:

4 ALT and HF your
7 TR and GOC three that testify in heaven: The Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 8And there are three that testify on earth:
13 BYZ and TR include and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.
18 Or the one who having been begotten of God keeps himself or God keeps the one having been begotten of Him
18 Or evil; similarly in verse 19
21 BYZ and TR include Amen.