1See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and [such] we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
1你看父賜給我們是何等的慈愛，使我們得稱為神的兒女；我們也真是他的兒女。世人所以不認識我們，是因未曾認識他。
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
2親愛的弟兄阿，我們現在是神的兒女，將來如何，還未顯明；但我們知道，主若顯現，我們必要像他、因為必得見他的真體。
3And everyone who has this hope [fixed] on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
3凡向他有這指望的，就潔淨自己，像他潔淨一樣。
4Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
4凡犯罪的，就是違背律法；違背律法就是罪。
5You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
5你們知道主曾顯現，是要除掉人的罪；在他並沒有罪。
6No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
6凡住在他裡面的，就不犯罪；凡犯罪的，是未曾看見他，也未曾認識他。
7Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
7小子們哪，不要被人誘感，行義的才是義人，正如主是義的一樣。
8the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
8犯罪的是屬魔鬼，因為魔鬼從起初就犯罪。神的兒子顯現出來，為要除滅魔鬼的作為。
9No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
9凡從神生的，就不犯罪，因神的道（原文作種）存在他心裡；他也不能犯罪，因為他是由神生的。
10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.
10從此就顯出誰是神的兒女，。誰是魔鬼的兒女。凡不行義的就不屬神，不愛弟兄的也是如此。
11For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
11我們應當彼此相愛。這就是你們從起初所聽見的命令。
12not as Cain, [who] was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.
12不可像該隱；他是屬那惡者，殺了他的兄弟。為甚麼殺了他呢？因自己的行為是惡的，兄弟的行為是善的。
13Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.
13弟兄們，世人若恨你們，不要以為希奇。
14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
14我們因為愛弟兄，就曉得是已經出死入生了。沒有愛心的，仍住在死中。
15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
15凡恨他弟兄的，就是殺人的；你們曉得凡殺人的，沒有永生存在他裡面。
16We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
16主為我們捨命，我們從此就知道何為愛；我們也當為弟兄捨命。
17But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
17凡有世上財物的，看見弟兄窮乏，卻塞住憐恤的心，愛神的心怎能存在他裡面呢？
18Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
18小子們哪，我們相愛，不要只在言語和舌頭上，總要在行為和誠實上。
19We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him
19從此就知道我們是屬真理的，並且我們的心在神面前可以安穩。
20in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
20我們的心若責備我們，神比我們的心大，一切事沒有不知道的。
21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;
21親愛的弟兄阿，我們的心若不責備我們，就可以向神坦然無懼了。
22and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.
22並且我們一切所求的，就從他得著；因為我們遵守他的命令，行他所喜悅的事。
23This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
23神的命令就是叫我們信他兒子耶穌基督的名，且照他所賜給我們的命令彼此相愛。
24The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
24遵守神命令的，就住在神裡面；神也住在他裡面。我們所以知道神住在我們裡面是因他所賜給我們的聖靈。