1Jo 2 | ESV | STEP | My little children , I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin . But if anyone does sin , we have an advocate with the Father , Jesus Christ the righteous .

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, ^awe have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 ^bHe is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^calso for the sins of the whole world. 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we ^dkeep his commandments. 4 Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments ^eis a liar, and ^fthe truth is not in him, 5 but whoever ^gkeeps his word, in him truly ^hthe love of God is perfected. ⁱBy this we may know that we are in him: 6 whoever says he ^jabides in him ^kought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

7 Beloved, I am writing you ^lno new commandment, but ^man old commandment ⁿthat you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is ^oa new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because ^{▼▼Or that} ^qthe darkness is passing away and ^rthe true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and ^shates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him ^{▼▼Or it} there is no ^ucause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and ^vwalks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, little children,
because ^wyour sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know ^xhim who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because ^yyou have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, children,
because ^zyou know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers,
because you know ^aahim who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because ^abyou are strong,
and the word of God abides in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15 ^acDo not love the world or the things in the world. ^adIf anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world— ^aethe desires of the flesh and ^afthe desires of the eyes and pride of life ^{▼▼Or pride in possessions}—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And ^ahthe world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Warning Concerning Antichrists

18 Children, ^aiit is the last hour, and as you have heard that ^ajantichrist is coming, so now ^akmany antichrists have come. ^alTherefore we know that it is the last hour. 19 ^amThey went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^anif they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, ^aothat it might become plain that they all are not of us. 20 But you have been ^apanointed by ^aqthe Holy One, and ^aryou all have knowledge. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts you know everything} 21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar but ^athe who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is ^authe antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. 23 ^avNo one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 Let ^awwhat you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then ^axyou too will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that he made to us ^{▼▼Some manuscripts you}— ^azeternal life.

26 I write these things to you about ^bathose who are trying to deceive you. 27 But ^bbthe anointing that you received from him abides in you, and ^bcyou have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and ^bdis true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Children of God

28 And now, little children, abide in him, so that ^bewhen he appears ^bfwe may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his ^bgcoming. 29 If you know that ^bhhe is righteous, you may be sure that ^bieveryone who practices righteousness has been born of him.