Bible History
Bible History

1 John 3 - New King James Version (NKJV)

You are here: Home New King James Version (NKJV) 1 John 3

The Command to Love

3 Behold (A)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that (B)we should be called children of [a]God! Therefore the world does not know [b]us, (C)because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, (D)now we are children of God; and (E)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, (F)we shall be like Him, for (G)we shall see Him as He is. 3 (H)And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Sin and the Child of God

4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and (I)sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know (J)that He was manifested (K)to take away our sins, and (L)in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 (M)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, (N)that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been (O)born of God does not sin, for (P)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love(Q)

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, (R)that we should love one another, 12 not as (S)Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if (T)the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love [c]his brother abides in death. 15 (U)Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that (V)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The Outworking of Love

16 (W)By this we know love, (X)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But (Y)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

18 My little children, (Z)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we [d]know (AA)that we are of the truth, and shall [e]assure our hearts before Him. 20 (AB)For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, (AC)we have confidence toward God. 22 And (AD)whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments (AE)and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ (AF)and love one another, as He gave [f]us commandment.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

24 Now (AG)he who keeps His commandments (AH)abides in Him, and He in him. And (AI)by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:1 NU adds And we are.
  2. 1 John 3:1 M you
  3. 1 John 3:14 NU omits his brother
  4. 1 John 3:19 NU shall know
  5. 1 John 3:19 persuade, set at rest
  6. 1 John 3:23 M omits us

Cross references

  1. 1 John 3:1 : [John 3:16; Eph. 2:4–7; 1 John 4:10]
  2. 1 John 3:1 : [John 1:12]
  3. 1 John 3:1 : John 15:18, 21; 16:3
  4. 1 John 3:2 : [Is. 56:5; Rom. 8:15, 16]
  5. 1 John 3:2 : [Rom. 8:18, 19, 23]
  6. 1 John 3:2 : Rom. 8:29; 2 Pet. 1:4
  7. 1 John 3:2 : [Ps. 16:11]
  8. 1 John 3:3 : 1 John 4:17
  9. 1 John 3:4 : Rom. 4:15; 1 John 5:17
  10. 1 John 3:5 : 1 John 1:2; 3:8
  11. 1 John 3:5 : [Is. 53:5, 6]; John 1:29; [2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:26]
  12. 1 John 3:5 : [2 Cor. 5:21]; 1 John 2:29
  13. 1 John 3:8 : Matt. 13:38; John 8:44; 1 John 3:10
  14. 1 John 3:8 : Luke 10:18; [Heb. 2:14]
  15. 1 John 3:9 : John 1:3; 3:3; [1 John 2:29; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18]; 3 John 11
  16. 1 John 3:9 : 1 Pet. 1:23
  17. 1 John 3:10 : Matt. 22:39
  18. 1 John 3:11 : [John 13:34; 15:12]; 1 John 4:7, 11, 21; 2 John 5
  19. 1 John 3:12 : Gen. 4:4, 8
  20. 1 John 3:13 : [John 15:18; 17:14]
  21. 1 John 3:15 : Matt. 5:21; John 8:44
  22. 1 John 3:15 : [Gal. 5:20, 21; Rev. 21:8]
  23. 1 John 3:16 : [John 3:16]
  24. 1 John 3:16 : John 10:11; 15:13; Gal. 2:20
  25. 1 John 3:17 : Deut. 15:7
  26. 1 John 3:18 : Ezek. 33:31
  27. 1 John 3:19 : John 18:37
  28. 1 John 3:20 : [1 Cor. 4:4, 5]
  29. 1 John 3:21 : [Heb. 10:22; 1 John 2:28; 5:14]
  30. 1 John 3:22 : Ps. 34:15; [John 15:7]; 1 John 5:14, 15
  31. 1 John 3:22 : John 8:29; Heb. 13:21
  32. 1 John 3:23 : Matt. 22:39
  33. 1 John 3:24 : John 14:23
  34. 1 John 3:24 : John 14:21; 17:21
  35. 1 John 3:24 : John 14:17; Rom. 8:9, 14, 16; 1 Thess. 4:8; 1 John 4:13

You Might Also Like:

1 John 3 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 See ye what love the Father hath given to us, that children of God we may be called; because of this the world doth not know us, because it did not know Him; 2 beloved, now, children of God are we, and it was not yet manifested what we shall be, and we have known that if he may be manifested, like...
Read More

1 John 3 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 See ye what manner charity the Father gave to us, that we be named the sons of God, and be his sons. For this thing the world knew not us, for it knew not him [For this thing the world knoweth not us, for it knoweth not him]. 2 Most dear brethren, now we be the sons of God, and yet it appeared no...
Read More

1 John 3 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

3 See how much the Father has loved us! We are called God's children. It is true, we are God's children. People in this world did not know him and so they do not know us. 2 My dear brothers, we are God's children now. No one knows yet what we shall be like. But we know that when Jesus comes, we will...
Read More

1 John 3 - World English Bible (WEB)

3 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him...
Read More

1 John 3 - The Voice (VOICE)

3 Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It’s true; we are His beloved children. And in the same way the world didn’t recognize Him, the world does not recognize us either. When we feel like we are not good enough to be loved by God, we shoul...
Read More

1 John 3 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

3 See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 2 Loved ones, now we are God’s children; and it has not yet been revealed what we will be. But we do know that when it’s revea...
Read More

1 John 3 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

3 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like h...
Read More

1 John 3 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

3 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like h...
Read More

1 John 3 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

3 Behold, what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the sons of God! For this reason, this world does not know you: because it does not know Him. 2 Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be is yet to be revealed. And we know that when He shall be revealed,...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

Born of God3 Look at the remarkable love the father has given us – that we should be called God’s children! That indeed is what we are. That’s why the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved ones, we are now, already, God’s children; it hasn’t yet been revealed what we are goin...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is r...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is r...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

3 1 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he[a] is rev...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

The singular love of God toward us. How we in response ought to love one another. 3 Behold what love the Father has shown on us, that we should be called the children of God. Because of this, the world does not know you: because it does not know him. 2 Dearly beloveds, now we are the children of Go...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Living Translation (NLT)

3 See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be l...
Read More

1 John 3 - New Life Version (NLV)

We Are God’s Children3 See what great love the Father has for us that He would call us His children. And that is what we are. For this reason the people of the world do not know who we are because they did not know Him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now. But it has not yet been shown to us ...
Read More

1 John 3 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

3 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that wh...
Read More

61 Bible Translations

Popular Articles

Explore the Bible Like Never Before!

Bible History Online

Bible Study Tools

Top Tags