1 John 2
The full text of 1 John 2 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Greek. Free to read.
1 My little children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2 He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 This is how we know that we have come to know him: if we keep his commands.
4 Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
5 But whoever keeps his word—in that person the love of God has truly been made complete. This is how we know that we are in him:
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus walked.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard.
8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Whoever claims to be in the light but hates a fellow believer is still in the darkness.
10 Whoever loves a fellow believer lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
11 But whoever hates a fellow believer is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded their eyes.
12 I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in them.
16 For everything in the world—the craving of the flesh, the craving of the eyes, and the pride of life—does not come from the Father but from the world.
17 The world and its cravings are passing away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
18 Children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24 As for you, let what you heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.
25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26 I have written these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.
27 As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things—and that anointing is real, not false—remain in him, just as it has taught you.
28 And now, dear children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
Translation notes (10)
- 1 John 2:1a The Greek word paraklēton means "advocate," referring to one called to one's side as a defender or helper. It is also rendered "comforter" or "counselor."
- 1 John 2:2a The Greek word hilasmos means "atoning sacrifice," which is the means by which sin is dealt with. Some translate it as "propitiation" (turning away wrath), while others render it as "expiation" (cleansing of sin).
- 1 John 2:5a The Greek phrase hē agapē tou theou can mean our love for God, God's love for us, or godlike love itself. The original Greek phrase is left open to these interpretations.
- 1 John 2:6a The Greek phrase "as that one walked" uses "that one" (ekeinos) to refer to Jesus. In both Hebrew and Greek, to "walk" is an idiom for the whole conduct of one's life.
- 1 John 2:9a The Greek phrase "his brother" (ton adelphon autou) in this letter means a fellow member of the believing community. It is rendered inclusively here as "fellow believer."
- 1 John 2:10a The Greek word skandalon means "a cause of stumbling." The phrase can mean either that nothing in such a person causes others to trip up, or that there is nothing in them over which they themselves stumble. Both senses are possible.
- 1 John 2:16a The Greek phrase hē alazoneia tou biou literally means "the boasting of one's livelihood." This refers to the arrogance that comes from what one possesses or achieves in life.
- 1 John 2:20a Some early manuscripts read "you all know" (oidate pantes), while other manuscripts read "you know all things" (oidate panta). The critical Greek text reads "you all know."
- 1 John 2:22a The Greek word Christos means "Anointed One," which is Messiah in Hebrew.
- 1 John 2:28a The Greek word parousia means "coming" or "presence." This is the standard term for Christ's return.
About this translation
The Trinity Bible Version (TBV) is a new translation of the Bible prepared by Trinity Bible AI — rendered from the original Greek and faithful to the earliest and most reliable manuscripts. Finished in 2026, it is the most modern English Bible translation you can read today, and it is available only through Trinity Bible. All 66 books, including 1 John, are free to read on this site.
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