All three of John's letters are on this page.
Chapter One
He who was from the beginning, he whom we heard, he whom we saw with our eyes, he whom we gazed upon and our hands handled: about the Word of Life; and the Life appeared and we saw and testify and report to you the Everlasting Life, he who was with the Father and appeared to us. He whom we saw and heard we are reporting to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is indeed with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things to you so that your joy may be full.
And this is the message, which we heard from him and are announcing to you: that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the dark, we are lying and are not doing the truth.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with each other and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son makes us clean from every sin. If we say that we do not have sin we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and make us clean from all unrighteousness. If we were to say that we have not sinned we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Chapter Two
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin, and if anyone does sin we have an intercessor with the Father: righteous Jesus Christ. And he is an atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for those of all of the world. And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments. The one saying ‘I have known him’ and not keeping his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps his word, truly the love of God has been made perfect in him. By this we know that we are in him. The one saying he lives in him, ought so to walk also himself even as he walked.
Brethren, I am not writing a new commandment to you but an old commandment, which you have had from the start: the old commandment is the word, which you have heard from the beginning. 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 shining.
The one saying he is in the light and hating his brother is in darkness until now. The one loving his brother is living in the light and there is not a cause of offence in him. But the one hating his brother is in the dark, and is walking in the dark and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
I am writing to you little children, because the sins have been forgiven you on account of his name.
I am writing to you fathers because you have have known him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you young men, because you have overcome the evil one.
I am writing to you children, because you have known the Father.
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 lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Because everything in the world: the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the ostentation of life is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away and its lust, but the one doing the will of God lives for ever.
Children, it’s the final hour and even as you have heard that the antichrist is coming; even now many antichrists have arisen, so that we know it is the final hour. They came out from us but they were not from us, for if they had been from us they would have remained with us, but they came out so that they might appear that they are not all from us.
And you have an anointing from the Holy One and you know everything.
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and that every lie is not from the truth. Who is the liar except the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? He is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son. Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father either. So, you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you too will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is the promise which he promises us: everlasting life!
I have written these things to you about those who mislead you, and the anointing which you have received from him remains in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as the same anointing teaches you about everything, and is true and is not a lie, and even as he has taught you, you will remain in him.
And now little children stay in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming.
If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does righteousness has been born of him.
Chapter Three
Look what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called God’s children! Because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are now God’s children and it has not yet appeared what we shall be, but we know that if he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him even as he is. And everyone having this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
Everyone committing sin is also practising lawlessness and sin is lawlessness. And you know that he appeared. so that he might take away our sins, and sin is not in him. Everyone staying in him does not sin, everyone sinning has not seen him nor known him.
Little children let no one mislead you; the one practising righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. The one committing sin is from the devil because the devil sins from the beginning. For this the Son of God appeared, so that he might undo the works of the devil. Everyone born of God does not commit sin because his seed stays in him and he cannot sin because he has been born of God. In this the children of God are evident, and the children of the devil. Everyone not practising righteousness, is not of God; also the one not loving his brother.
Because this is the message, which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain was from the wicked one, and murdered his brother. And for the sake of what did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.
Do not be surprised my brethren if the world hates you. We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brethren. The one not loving the brother stays in death. Everyone hating his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has everlasting life dwelling in him.
By this we have known love because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has a livelihood in the world and sees his brother in need and shuts off his mercy from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?
My little children, we should not love in word nor tongue but in deed and truth. And by this we know that we are of the truth, and will convince our hearts before him, so that if our heart should condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows everything. Beloved if our heart does not condemn us we have confidence towards God, and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and we do things pleasing before him.
And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, even as he has given us a commandment. And the one keeping his commandments stays in him, and he in him, and by this we know that he is staying in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.
Chapter Four
Beloved do not believe every spirit, but try the spirits as to whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. And every spirit, which does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is not from God, and this is that of the antichrist of which you have heard that it is coming and now it is in the world already. You are from God little children and have overcome them because greater is He in you than he in the world. They are from the world: because of this they speak of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. The one knowing God listens to us. He who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone loving has been fathered by God and knows God. The one not loving has not known God, because God is love. In this God’s love for us was made evident, in that God sent his only begotten Son into the world so that we might live by means of him.
In this is the love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God thus loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love each other God stays in us and his love is fulfilled in us. By this we know that we are staying in him, and he in us, because he has given to us from his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son: the world’s Saviour.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God is staying in him and he in God, and we have known and believed in the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one living in love is living in God and God in him. In this, love has been fulfilled in us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgement, because even as he is, we are too in this world. Fear is not in love but fulfilled love drives out fear, because fear has torment and the fearful one has not been fulfilled in love. We love him because he first loved us.
If anyone says ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him, that the one loving God loves his brother too.
Chapter Five
God has fathered everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ, and everyone loving him who fathered, loves also him who has been fathered by him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we should observe his commandments and his commandments are not oppressive. Because all that has been fathered by God overcomes the world, and this is the victory which overcame the world: our faith. Who is the one overcoming the world except the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God?
This is he who came with water and blood, Jesus the Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and the blood, and the Spirit it is that is bearing witness because the Spirit is the truth. Because there are three bearing witness in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three bearing witness on earth: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are in one. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. Because this is the testimony of God which he testified about his Son. The one believing in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. The one not believing God, has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony which God has testified about his Son. And this is the testimony, that God has given us everlasting life, and this life is in his Son. The one having the Son has life, the one not having the Son of God, does not have life.
I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have everlasting life, and so that you may believe in the name of the Son of God.
And this is the confidence, which we have towards him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked him for.
If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not to death, he will ask, and he will give him life for those who sin not to death. There is a sin to death, but I am not saying that he should ask about that. Every unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not to death. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the one born of God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world is lying in the evil one.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, so that we might know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the everlasting life.
Little children, guard yourselves from the idols. Truly.
John’s first general letter.
The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all those who have known the truth. Because of the truth which stays in us and will be with us for ever, there will be with you, grace, mercy, peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
I rejoiced extremely that I have found of your children walking in the truth, as we received commandment from the Father. And now I ask you lady, not as a new commandment I am writing to you, but that which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love that we walk according to his commandments. This is the commandment, even as you heard from the beginning, so that you might walk in it.
For many deceivers have entered into the world, the ones not confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Look to yourselves, so that we may not lose what things we have worked on, but may receive a full reward. Everyone disobeying and not staying in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. The one staying in the teaching of Christ, this one has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into the house and do not give him a greeting. For the one saying a greeting to him, is taking part in his evil works.
Having many things to write to you, I intend not with paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and speak face to face so that our joy may be full. The children of your chosen sister greet you. Truly.
John’s second general letter.
The elder to the beloved Gaius whom I love in truth.
Beloved, I wish you to prosper in all things and to be in health, even as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced extremely at the coming of the brethren and their testifying of your truth, even as you are walking in truth. I have no joy greater than these things: that I hear of my children walking in truth.
Beloved, you are doing faithfully whatever you may have done for the brethren and for the strangers, who have testified of your love before the assembly, whom you will do well sending off suitably, in a manner worthy of God; because for his name they have gone out, taking nothing from the Gentiles. So then we ought to receive such, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.
I wrote to the assembly, but the one loving to be first among them, Diotrophes, does not receive us. Because of this, if I come, I will remember the things he is doing: gossiping about us with evil words, and not satisfied with these he not only does not receive the brethren himself, but forbids those who would and throws them out of the assembly.
Beloved, do not imitate the evil, but the good! The one doing good is from God, but the one doing evil has not seen God.
Demetrius is commended by everyone, and by the truth itself. And we also testify and you know that our testimony is true.
I had many things to write, but I do not want to write to you with pen and ink, but I hope to see you presently and we will speak face to face. Peace to you, the friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.
John’s third general letter.
This translation, from the Greek Text used for the ‘Authorized’ or ‘King James’ Version
Copyright © David Lawrie 1998
