2:1 (My little children,¹⁵ I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin¹⁶.) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate¹⁷ with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One;¹⁸ 2:2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice¹⁹ for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.²⁰

2:3 Now²¹ by this we know that we have come to know God:²² if we keep his commandments. 2:4 The one who says “I have come to know God”²³ and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. 2:5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in this person²⁴ the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. 2:6 The one who says he resides²⁵ in God²⁶ ought himself to walk²⁷ just as Jesus²⁸ walked.

2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.²⁹ The old commandment is the word that you have already³⁰ heard. 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him³¹ and in you, because³² the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.³³ 2:9 The one who says he is in the light but still hates³⁴ his fellow Christian³⁵ is still in the darkness. 2:10 The one who loves his fellow Christian³⁶ resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.³⁷ 2:11 But the one who hates his fellow Christian³⁸ is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.³⁹

2:12 I am writing to you,⁴⁰ little children, that⁴¹ your sins have been forgiven because of his⁴² name. 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, that⁴³ you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that⁴⁴ you have conquered the evil one.⁴⁵ 2:14 I have written to you, children, that⁴⁶ you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, that⁴⁷ you have known him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, that⁴⁸ you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one.

2:15 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; 2:16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions)⁴⁹ is not from the Father, but is from the world. 2:17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains⁵⁰ forever.

2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that Antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists⁵¹ have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. 2:19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained⁵² with us. But they went out from us⁵³ to demonstrate⁵⁴ that all of them do not belong to us.⁵⁵

2:20 Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.⁵⁶ 2:21 I have not written to you that⁵⁷ you do not know the truth, but that⁵⁸ you do know it, and that⁵⁹ no lie is of the truth. 2:22 Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ⁶⁰? This one is the Antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son. 2:23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.⁶¹

2:24 As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain⁶² in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 2:25 Now this⁶³ is the promise that he⁶⁴ himself made to⁶⁵ us: eternal life.⁶⁶ 2:26 These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you.⁶⁷

2:27 Now as for you, the anointing⁶⁸ that you received from him⁶⁹ resides⁷⁰ in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his⁷¹ anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as⁷² it⁷³ has taught you, you reside⁷⁴ in him.

2:28 And now, little children, remain⁷⁵ in him,⁷⁶ so that whenever⁷⁷ he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back.⁷⁸ 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know⁷⁹ that everyone who practices righteousness is fathered⁸⁰ by him.