Modern Literal Version
[1 John 1]


     1:1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we saw and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life 1:2 and the life was manifested and we have seen and testify and are reporting to you* the life, the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us. 1:3 That which we have seen and heard we report to you*, that* you* also may have fellowship with us; but also our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ; 1:4 and we are writing these things, that* our joy may be fulfilled.


     1:5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and are reporting to you*, that God is light and there is no darkness in him – none at all. 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and then should walk in the darkness, we are lying and do not practice the truth. 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son is cleansing us from all sin. 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are misleading ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous {F} to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make* him a liar and his word is not in us.


    {Footnotes: Please read the Preface. * is our universal footnoting for words contained in the Appendix. These words are NOT the same Greek word as the non-asterisk form; i.e. *for is different from for* is different from for. 1Jn 1:9 is the abbreviated form of ‘in order that he might forgive us our sins and in order that he might cleanse us from...’}


[1 John 2]


     2:1 My little children, these things I am writing to you* that* you* may not sin. And if anyone should sin, we have a Helper* with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2:2 And he is the atonement on behalf of our sins, and not on behalf of ours only, but also on behalf of the whole world. 2:3 And we know by this that we know him; if we keep his commandments. 2:4 He who says, I know him and is not keeping his commandments, is a liar and the truth is not in him; 2:5 but whoever keeps his word, truly the love* of God has been perfected in him. We know by this that we are in him. 2:6 He who says he {F} abides in him, also ought to walk so; just-as he walked.


     2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you*, but an old commandment which you* have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you* heard from the beginning. 2:8 Again, I am writing a new commandment to you*, which is true in him and in you*, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already appearing. 2:9 He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now. 2:10 He who loves* his brother abides in the light and there is no offense in him. 2:11 But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and is walking in the darkness and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.


     2:12 I am writing to you*, my little children, because your* sins have been forgiven you* because of his name. 2:13 I am writing to you*, fathers, because you* have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you*, young-men, because you* have overcome the evil one. I write to you*, little children, because you* have known the Father. 2:14 I have written to you*, fathers, because you* have known him who is from the beginning. I have written to you*, young men, because you* are strong and the word of God abides in you* and you* have overcome the evil one.

    2:15 Do not love* the world, nor the things which are 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 lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the egotism of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 2:17 And the world is passing away and its lust; but he who practices the will of God abides forever.


     2:18 Little children, it is the last hour and just-as you* heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come; hence we know that it is the last hour. 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of* us; for* if they had been of* us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, that* they might be made manifest that all of them are not of* us. 2:20 And you* have an anointing from the Holy One and you* know all things. 2:21 I have not written to you* because you* do not know the truth, but because you* know it and because every lie is not of* the truth. 2:22 Who is the liar except he who is denying that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who is denying the Father and the Son. 2:23 Everyone who is denying the Son, he does not have the Father. 2:24 Therefore let this abide in you* which you* heard from the beginning. If what you* heard from the beginning abides in you*, you* will also abide in the Son and in the Father. 2:25 And this is the promise which he promised us, eternal life. 2:26 I have written to you* these things concerning those who are misleading you*. 2:27 And as for you*, the anointing which you* received from him abides in you* and you* do not need that* anyone should teach you*; but as the same anointing teaches you* about all things and is true and is not a lie and just-as it taught you*, you* will abide in him. 2:28 And now, my little children, abide in him; that*, whenever he is made manifest, we may have boldness and should not be ashamed in his presence. 2:29 If you* know that he is righteous, you* also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born from him.


    {Footnotes: 1Jn 2:6- The word ‘abide’ as used throughout the Letters of John also can be translated as ‘dwell’ or ‘remain’ (as in 2:19).

        

[1 John 3]


     3:1 Behold what sort of love* the Father has given to us, that* we might be called children of God. Because of this, the world does not know you*, because it did not know him. 3:2 Beloved, we are now the children of God and it was not yet manifested what we will be. But we know that, if he is manifested, we will be similar to him, because we will see him just-as he is. 3:3 And everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, just-as he is pure. 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 3:5 And you* know that he was manifested in order that he might take away our sins, and in him is no sin. {Isa. 53:4} 3:6 Everyone who abides in him is not sinning. Everyone who sins has not seen him, nor has known him. 3:7 My little children, let no one mislead you*. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just-as he is righteous. 3:8 He who practices sin is from the Slanderer, because from the beginning the Slanderer is sinning, to this end the Son of God was manifested, that* he might dissolve the works of the Slanderer. 3:9 Everyone who has been born from God does not practice sin, because his seed abides in him and he is not able to practice sin, because he has been born from God. 3:10 The children of God and the children of the Slanderer are apparent in this, everyone who does not practice righteousness is not from God, nor is he who does not love* his brother. 3:11 Because this is the message which you* heard from the beginning, that* we should love* one another; 3:12 not as Cain who was from the evil one and slaughtered his brother. And he slew him because of what? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. {Gen. 4:8}


     3:13 Do not marvel my brethren, if the world hates you*. 3:14 We know that we have stepped out of death into life, because we love* the brethren. He who does not love* his brother abides in death. 3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you* know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 3:16 We know love* by this , because he laid down his life on our behalf and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brethren. 3:17 But whoever has a good livelihood in the world and may view his brother having need and might lock his heart* from him, how does the love* of God abide in him? 3:18 My little children, do not love* in word, nor with the tongue; but in works and in truth. 3:19 And we know by this that we are from the truth and will persuade our hearts from fear in front of him; 3:20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and he knows all things. 3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have boldness toward God; 3:22 and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we are keeping his commandments and practice the things which are pleasing in his sight. 3:23 And this is his commandment, that* we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and should love* one another, just-as he gave commandment to us. 3:24 And he who is keeping his commandments abides in him and he in him. And we know by this that he abides in us, from the Spirit whom he gave us.


1Jn 3:17- Greek: bowels.}


[1 John 4]


     4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits, to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 4:2 You* know by this the Spirit of God. Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 4:3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh, is not from God and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you* have heard of, that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4:4 You* are from God, my little children and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you* than he who is in the world. 4:5 They are from the world. Therefore they speak as from the world and the world hears them. 4:6 We are from God. He who knows God, hears us; he who is not from God does not hear us. We know from this, {F} the spirit of the truth and the spirit of the deceit.


     4:7 Beloved, we should love* one another, because love* is from God, and everyone who loves* has been born from God and knows God. 4:8 He who does not love*, does not know God, because God is love*. 4:9 In this, the love* of God was manifested in us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world that* we might live through him. 4:10 In this is love*, not that we loved* God, but that he loved* us and sent his Son to be the atonement on behalf of our sins. 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved* us, we also ought to love* one another. 4:12 No one has seen God at anytime; if we love* one another, God is abiding in us and his love* is perfected in us. 4:13 We know by this that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given to us from his Spirit. 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 4:15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. 4:16 And we know and have believed the love* which God has in us. God is love*, and he who abides in love* abides in God and God abides in him. 4:17 In this, love* has been perfected with us, that* we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because just-as he is perfect, we are also perfect in this world. 4:18 There is no fear in love*; but perfect love* casts out fear, because fear has punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love*. 4:19 We should love* him, because he loved* us first. 4:20 If anyone says, I love* God and then might hate his brother, he is a liar; for* he who does not love* his brother, whom he has seen, how is he able to love* God, whom he has not seen? 4:21 And we have this commandment from him, that* he who loves* God should also love* his brother.


    {Footnotes: 1Jn 4:6- Or: the Spirit of the Truth and the Spirit of the Deceit. A contrast, God vs. the Evil One.}


[1 John 5]


     5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God and everyone who loves* him who fathered us, also should love* him who has been born from him. 5:2 We know by this that we love* the children of God, whenever we love* God and whenever we are keeping his commandments. 5:3 For* this is the love* of God, that* we should keep his commandments and his commandments are not burdensome. 5:4 Because whatever has been born from God overcomes the world and this is the victory, your* faith, that has overcome the world. 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, except he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 5:6 This is he who came through water and blood– Jesus the Christ; not only in the water, but in the water and in the blood. And it is the Spirit who is testifying, because the Spirit is the truth. 5:7 Because there are three who are testifying, {F} 5:8 the Spirit and the water and the blood and the three are in the one. 5:9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because the testimony of God is this, that he testified concerning his Son. 5:10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God, has made* him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son. 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life and this life is in his Son. 5:12 He who has the Son, has life; he who does not have the Son of God, does not have the life.


     5:13 I have written these things to you* who believe in the name of the Son of God, that* you* may know that you* have eternal life, and that* you* may believe in the name of the Son of God. 5:14 And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us; 5:15 and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from him. 5:16 If anyone sees his brother sinning {F} sin not to death, he will ask and God will give him life for those who are not sinning to death. There is {F} sin to death. I do not say that* he should ask concerning that. 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin and there is sin not leading to death.


     5:18 We know that everyone who has been born from God is not sinning; but he who was born from God guards himself and the evil one does not touch him. 5:19 We know that we are from God and the whole world lies in the evil one. 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us perception, that* we might know him who is true and we are in him who is true, that is in his son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 5:21 My little children, guard yourselves from idols. Amen.


    {Footnotes: 1Jn 5.7b-8a is not in most of the Greek Manuscripts. It was put there from the Catholic Latin Bible. 1Jn 5:16a- Or: a sin not leading to death. 1Jn 5:16b- Or: a sin leading to death.}




Modern Literal Version Preface & Appendix , copyright 1999, 2014 by G. Allen Walker for the MLV New Testament Committee.
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