New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures Reference Bible

1 That which was from [the] beginning,*+ which we have heard,+ which we have seen with our eyes,+ which we have viewed+ attentively and our hands felt,+ concerning the word of life,+ 2 (yes, the life was made manifest,+ and we have seen and are bearing witness+ and reporting to YOU the everlasting life+ which was with the Father and was made manifest to us,) 3 that which we have seen and heard we are reporting also to YOU,+ that YOU too may be having a sharing with us.+ Furthermore, this sharing+ of ours is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.+ 4 And so we are writing these things that our joy may be in full measure.*+

5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and are announcing to YOU,+ that God is light+ and there is no darkness at all in union with him.*+ 6 If we make the statement:* “We are having a sharing with him,” and yet we go on walking in the darkness,+ we are lying and are not practicing the truth.+ 7 However, if we are walking in the light as he himself is in the light,+ we do have a sharing with one another,+ and the blood+ of Jesus his Son cleanses+ us from all sin.+

8 If we make the statement: “We have no sin,”+ we are misleading* ourselves+ and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,+ he is faithful and righteous so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.+ 10 If we make the statement: “We have not sinned,” we are making him a liar, and his word is not in us.+

2 My little children, I am writing YOU these things that YOU may not commit a sin.*+ And yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have a helper*+ with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one.+ 2 And he is a propitiatory+ sacrifice*+ for our sins,+ yet not for ours+ only but also for the whole world’s.+ 3 And by this we have the knowledge that we have come to know him, namely, if we continue observing his commandments.+ 4 He that says: “I have come to know him,”+ and yet is not observing his commandments,+ is a liar, and the truth is not in this [person].+ 5 But whoever does observe his word,+ truthfully in this [person] the love of God has been made perfect.+ By this we have the knowledge that we are in union with him.+ 6 He that says he remains in union+ with him is under obligation himself also to go on walking just as that one walked.+

7 Beloved ones, I am writing YOU, not a new commandment, but an old commandment+ which YOU have had from [the] beginning.+ This old commandment is the word which YOU heard. 8 Again, I am writing YOU a new commandment, a fact that is true in his case and in YOURS, because the darkness+ is passing away and the true light+ is already shining.

9 He that says he is in the light and yet hates+ his brother is in the darkness up to right now.+ 10 He that loves his brother remains in the light,+ and there is no cause for stumbling in his case.+ 11 But he that hates his brother is in the darkness and is walking in the darkness,+ and he does not know where he is going,+ because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing YOU, little children, because YOUR sins have been forgiven YOU for the sake of his name.+ 13 I am writing YOU, fathers, because YOU have come to know him who is from [the] beginning.+ I am writing YOU, young men,+ because YOU have conquered the wicked one.+ I write YOU, young children,+ because YOU have come to know the Father.+ 14 I write YOU, fathers,+ because YOU have come to know him who is from [the] beginning.+ I write YOU, young men, because YOU are strong+ and the word of God* remains in YOU+ and YOU have conquered the wicked one.+

15 Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world.+ If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him;+ James4:4  16 because everything in the world+—the desire of the flesh+ and the desire of the eyes+ and the showy display* of one’s means of life+—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world.+ 17 Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire,+ but he that does the will+ of God remains forever.+

18 Young children, it is the last hour,+ and, just as YOU have heard that antichrist* is coming,+ even now there have come to be many antichrists;+ from which fact we gain the knowledge that it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of our sort;+ for if they had been of our sort, they would have remained with us.+ But [they went out] that it might be shown up that not all are of our sort.+ 20 And YOU have an anointing* from the holy one;+ all of YOU have knowledge.+ 21 I write YOU, not because YOU do not know the truth,+ but because YOU know it,+ and because no lie originates with the truth.+

22 Who is the liar if it is not the one that denies that Jesus is the Christ?+ This is the antichrist,+ the one that denies the Father and the Son.+ 23 Everyone that denies the Son does not have the Father either.+ He that confesses+ the Son has the Father also.+ 24 As for YOU, let that which YOU have heard from [the] beginning remain in YOU.+ If that which YOU have heard from [the] beginning remains in YOU, YOU will also abide in union+ with the Son and in union with the Father.+ 25 Furthermore, this is the promised thing that he himself promised us, the life everlasting.+

26 These things I write YOU about those who are trying to mislead YOU.+ 27 And as for YOU, the anointing+ that YOU received from him remains in YOU, and YOU do not need anyone to be teaching YOU;+ but, as the anointing from him is teaching YOU about all things,+ and is true+ and is no lie, and just as it has taught YOU, remain in union+ with him. 28 So now, little children,+ remain in union+ with him, that when he is made manifest+ we may have freeness of speech+ and not be shamed away from him at his presence.*+ 29 If YOU know that he is righteous,+ YOU gain the knowledge that everyone who practices righteousness has been born from him.+

3 See what sort of love+ the Father has given us, so that we should be called children of God;+ and such we are. That is why the world+ does not have a knowledge of us, because it has not come to know him.+ 2 Beloved ones, now we are children of God,+ but as yet it has not been made manifest what we shall be.+ We do know that whenever he* is made manifest+ we shall be like him,+ because we shall see him just as he is.+ 3 And everyone who has this hope set upon him purifies+ himself just as that one is pure.+

4 Everyone who practices* sin+ is also practicing lawlessness,+ and so sin+ is lawlessness. 5 YOU know too that that one was made manifest to take away [our]* sins,+ and there is no sin+ in him. 6 Everyone remaining in union+ with him does not practice sin;+ no one that practices sin has either seen him or come to know him.+ 7 Little children, let no one mislead YOU; he who carries on righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous.+ 8 He who carries on sin originates with the Devil,* because the Devil has been sinning from [the] beginning.*+ For this purpose the Son of God was made manifest,+ namely, to break up the works of the Devil.+

9 Everyone who has been born* from God does not carry on sin,+ because His [reproductive] seed remains in such one, and he cannot practice sin, because he has been born from God.+ 10 The children of God and the children of the Devil are evident by this fact: Everyone who does not carry on righteousness+ does not originate with God, neither does he who does not love his brother.+ 11 For this is the message which YOU have heard from [the] beginning,*+ that we should have love for one another;+ 12 not like Cain, who originated with the wicked one and slaughtered+ his brother. And for the sake of what did he slaughter him? Because his own works were wicked,+ but those of his brother [were] righteous.+

13 Do not marvel, brothers, that the world hates YOU.+ 14 We know we have passed over from death to life,+ because we love the brothers.+ He who does not love remains in death.+ 15 Everyone who hates+ his brother is a manslayer,+ and YOU know that no manslayer+ has everlasting life remaining in him.+ 16 By this we have come to know love,+ because that one surrendered his soul* for us;+ and we are under obligation to surrender [our] souls* for [our]* brothers.+ 17 But whoever has this world’s means for supporting life+ and beholds his brother having need+ and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him,+ in what way does the love of God remain in him?+ 18 Little children, let us love,+ neither in word nor with the tongue,+ but in deed+ and truth.+

19 By this we shall know that we originate with the truth,+ and we shall assure* our hearts before him 20 as regards whatever our hearts may condemn us in,+ because God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.+ 21 Beloved ones, if [our] hearts do not condemn [us], we have freeness of speech toward God;+ 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him,+ because we are observing his commandments and are doing the things that are pleasing in his eyes.+ 23 Indeed, this is his commandment, that we have faith in the name of his Son Jesus Christ+ and be loving one another,+ just as he gave us commandment. 24 Moreover, he who observes his commandments remains in union with him, and he in union with such one;+ and by this we gain the knowledge that he is remaining in union with us,+ owing to the spirit+ which he gave us.

4 Beloved ones, do not believe every inspired expression,*+ but test the inspired expressions* to see whether they originate with God,+ because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.+ ■

2 YOU gain the knowledge of the inspired expression from God+ by this: Every inspired expression that confesses Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh originates with God,+ 3 but every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God.+ Furthermore, this is the antichrist’s [inspired expression] which YOU have heard was coming,+ and now it is already in the world.+

4 YOU originate with God, little children, and YOU have conquered those [persons],+ because he that is in union+ with YOU is greater+ than he that is in union with the world.+ 5 They originate with the world;+ that is why they speak [what proceeds] from the world and the world listens to them.+ 6 We originate with God.+ He that gains the knowledge of God listens to us;+ he that does not originate with God does not listen to us.+ This is how we take note of the inspired expression of truth and the inspired expression of error.+ John8:47

7 Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another,+ because love+ is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God+ and gains the knowledge of God.+ 8 He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.+ 9 By this the love of God was made manifest in our case,+ because God sent forth his only-begotten* Son+ into the world that we might gain life through him.+ John3:16  10 The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory+ sacrifice*+ for our sins.+

11 Beloved ones, if this is how God loved us, then we are ourselves under obligation to love one another.+ 12 At no time has anyone beheld God.+John1:18 If we continue loving one another, God remains in us and his love is made perfect in us.+ John13:34-35 13 By this we gain the knowledge that we are remaining in union+ with him and he in union with us,+ because he has imparted his spirit to us.+ 14 In addition, we ourselves have beheld+ and are bearing witness+ that the Father has sent forth his Son as Savior of the world.+ 15 Whoever makes the confession that Jesus Christ* is the Son of God,+ God remains in union with such one and he in union with God.+ 16 And we ourselves have come to know and have believed the love+ that God has in our case.

God is love,+ and he that remains in love+ remains in union with God and God remains in union+ with him. 17 This is how love has been made perfect with us, that we may have freeness of speech*+ in the day of judgment,+ because, just as that one is, so are we ourselves in this world.+ 18 There is no fear in love,+ but perfect love throws fear outside,+ because fear exercises a restraint.* Indeed, he that is under fear has not been made perfect in love.+ 19 As for us, we love, because he first loved us.+

20 If anyone makes the statement: “I love God,” and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar.+ For he who does not love his brother,+ whom he has seen, cannot be loving God, whom he has not seen.+ 21 And this commandment we have from him,+ that the one who loves God should be loving his brother also.+

5 Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God,+ and everyone who loves the one that caused to be born loves him who has been born from that one.+ 2 By this we gain the knowledge that we are loving+ the children of God,+ when we are loving God and doing his commandments.+ 3 For this is what the love+ of God means, that we observe his commandments;+ and yet his commandments are not burdensome,+ 4 because everything that has been born+ from God conquers the world.+ And this is the conquest+ that has conquered+ the world, our faith.+

5 Who is the one that conquers+ the world+ but he who has faith+ that Jesus is the Son of God?+ 6 This is he that came by means of water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water+ only, but with the water and with the blood.+ And the spirit+ is that which is bearing witness,* because the spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three witness bearers,* 8 the spirit+ and the water+ and the blood,+ and the three are in agreement.*+

9 If we receive the witness men give,+ the witness God gives is greater, because this is the witness God gives, the fact that he has borne witness+ concerning his Son. 10 The [person] putting his faith in the Son of God has the witness+ given in his own case.* The [person] not having faith in God has made him a liar,+ because he has not put his faith in the witness given,+ which God as witness+ has given concerning his Son. 11 And this is the witness given, that God gave us everlasting life,+ and this life is in his Son.+ 12 He that has the Son has this life; he that does not have the Son of God does not have this life.+

13 I write YOU these things that YOU may know that YOU have life everlasting,+ YOU who put YOUR faith in the name of the Son of God.+ 14 And this is the confidence* that we have toward him,+ that, no matter what it is that we ask according to his will, he hears us.+ 15 Further, if we know he hears us respecting whatever we are asking,+ we know we are to have the things asked since we have asked them of him.+

16 If anyone catches sight of his brother sinning a sin that does not incur death,*+ he will* ask, and he* will give life to him,+ yes, to those not sinning so as to incur death.+ There is a sin that does incur death. It is concerning that sin that I do not tell him to make request.+ 17 All unrighteousness is sin;+ and yet there is a sin that does not incur death.

18 We know that every [person] that has been born from God+ does not practice sin, but the One+ born from God* watches him, and the wicked one does not fasten his hold on him.+ 19 We know we originate with God,+ but the whole world is lying in the [power of the] wicked one.+ 20 But we know that the Son of God has come,+ and he has given us intellectual+ capacity* that we may gain the knowledge of the true one.+ And we are in union+ with the true one, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true+ God and life everlasting.+ 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.+
 

2 John
 

  1 The older man*+ to the chosen lady*+ and to her children, whom I truly love,*+ and not I alone, but all those also who have come to know the truth,+ 2 because of the truth that remains in us,+ and it will be with us forever.+ 3 There will be with us undeserved kindness,+ mercy [and] peace from God the Father+ and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, with truth and love.+

4 I rejoice very much because I have found* certain ones of your children+ walking in the truth,+ just as we received commandment from the Father.+ 5 So now I request you, lady,* as [a person] writing you, not a new commandment,+ but one which we had from [the] beginning,*+ that we love one another.+ 6 And this is what love means,+ that we go on walking according to his commandments.+ This is the commandment, just as YOU people have heard from [the] beginning, that YOU should go on walking in it.+ 7 For many deceivers have gone forth into the world,+ persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming* in the flesh.+ This is the deceiver*+ and the antichrist.+

8 Look out for yourselves, that YOU do not lose* the things we have worked to produce, but that YOU may obtain a full reward.+ 9 Everyone that pushes ahead*+ and does not remain+ in the teaching of the Christ does not have God.+ He that does remain in this teaching is the one that has both the Father and the Son.+ 10 If anyone comes to YOU and does not bring this teaching, never receive him into YOUR homes+ or say a greeting* to him.+ 11 For he that says a greeting to him is a sharer* in his wicked works.*+

12 Although I have many things to write YOU, I do not desire to do so with paper and ink,+ but I am hoping to come to YOU and to speak with YOU face to face,*+ that YOUR joy+ may be in full measure.+

13 The children of your sister, the chosen one, send you their greetings.+

 1 The older man*+ to Gaius, the beloved, whom I truly love.*+

2 Beloved+ one, I pray that in all things you may be prospering*+ and having good health,+ just as your soul is prospering.+ 3 For I rejoiced very much* when brothers came* and bore witness to the truth you hold, just as you go on walking in the truth.+ 4 No greater cause for thankfulness do I have than these things, that I should be hearing that my children go on walking in the truth.+

5 Beloved one, you are doing a faithful work in whatever you do for the brothers,+ and strangers at that,+ 6 who have borne witness to your love before the congregation. These you will please* send on their way in a manner worthy of God.+ 7 For it was in behalf of [his]* name that they went forth, not taking anything+ from the people of the nations. 8 We, therefore, are under obligation to receive such persons hospitably,+ that we may become fellow workers in the truth.*+

9 I wrote something to the congregation, but Diotrephes, who likes to have the first place*+ among them, does not receive anything+ from us with respect.+ 10 That is why, if I come, I will call to remembrance his works which he goes on doing,+ chattering about us with wicked words.+ Also, not being content* with these things, neither does he himself receive the brothers+ with respect, and those who are wanting to receive+ them he tries* to hinder+ and to throw out+ of the congregation.

11 Beloved one, be an imitator, not of what is bad, but of what is good.+ He that does good originates with God.+ He that does bad has not seen God.+ 12 Demetrius has had witness borne to him by them all+ and by the truth itself. In fact, we, also, are bearing witness,+ and you know that the witness we give is true.+

13 I had many things to write you, yet I do not wish to go on writing you with ink and pen.*+ 14 But I am hoping to see you directly, and we shall speak face to face.*+

May you have peace.+

The friends send you their greetings.+ Give my greetings+ to the friends by name.

  1 Jude,* a slave of Jesus Christ, but a brother of James,+ to the called ones+ who are loved in relationship with God [the] Father+ and preserved*+ for Jesus Christ:

2 May mercy+ and peace+ and love+ be increased to YOU.+

3 Beloved ones,+ though I was making every effort to write YOU about the salvation we hold in common,+ I found it necessary to write YOU to exhort* YOU to put up a hard fight* for the faith+ that was once for all time delivered to the holy ones.+ 4 My reason is that certain men have slipped in+ who have long ago been appointed+ by the Scriptures to this judgment,+ ungodly men,*+ turning the undeserved kindness of our God into an excuse for loose conduct*+ and proving false+ to our only Owner+ and Lord,+ Jesus Christ.

5 I desire to remind YOU, despite YOUR knowing all things+ once for all time, that Jehovah,* although he saved a people out of the land of Egypt,+ afterwards destroyed those not showing faith.+ 6 And the angels that did not keep their original position but forsook their own proper dwelling place+ he has reserved with eternal bonds+ under dense darkness for the judgment of the great day.+ 7 So too Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them,+ after they in the same manner as the foregoing ones had committed fornication excessively and gone out after flesh for unnatural use,+ are placed before [us] as a [warning] example+ by undergoing the judicial punishment of everlasting fire.+

8 In like manner, notwithstanding, these men, too, indulging in dreams,+ are defiling the flesh and disregarding lordship+ and speaking abusively* of glorious ones.*+ 9 But when Michael+ the archangel+ had a difference*+ with the Devil and was disputing* about Moses’ body,+ he did not dare to bring a judgment against him in abusive terms,+ but said: “May Jehovah* rebuke you.”+ 10 Yet these [men] are speaking abusively of all the things they really do not know;+ but all the things that they do understand naturally like the unreasoning animals,+ in these things they go on corrupting+ themselves.

11 Too bad for them, because they have gone in the path of Cain,+ and have rushed into the erroneous course of Balaam+ for reward, and have perished in the rebellious talk+ of Korah!+ 12 These are the rocks hidden below water in YOUR love feasts+ while they feast with YOU, shepherds that feed themselves without fear;+ waterless clouds carried this way+ and that by winds;+ trees in late autumn, [but] fruitless, having died twice, having been uprooted;+ 13 wild waves of the sea that foam up their own causes for shame;+ stars with no set course, for which the blackness of darkness stands reserved forever.+

14 Yes, the seventh one [in line] from Adam, Enoch,+ prophesied also regarding them, when he said: “Look! Jehovah* came with his holy myriads,*+ 15 to execute judgment against all,+ and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds that they did in an ungodly way, and concerning all the shocking things that ungodly sinners spoke against him.”+

16 These men are murmurers,+ complainers about their lot in life,* proceeding according to their own desires,+ and their mouths speak swelling things,+ while they are admiring personalities*+ for the sake of [their own] benefit.

17 As for YOU, beloved ones, call to mind the sayings that have been previously spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,+ 18 how they used to say to YOU: “In the last time there will be ridiculers,* proceeding according to their own desires for ungodly things.”+ 19 These are the ones that make separations,*+ animalistic [men],*+ not having spirituality.*+ 20 But YOU, beloved ones, by building up yourselves+ on YOUR most holy faith,+ and praying with holy spirit,+ 21 keep yourselves in God’s love,+ while YOU are waiting for the mercy+ of our Lord Jesus Christ with everlasting life in view.+ 22 Also, continue showing mercy+ to some that have doubts;+ 23 save [them]+ by snatching [them] out of the fire.+ But continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, while YOU hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh.+

24 Now to the one who is able to guard+ YOU from stumbling* and to set YOU unblemished+ in the sight of his glory* with great joy, 25 to [the] only God our Savior*+ through Jesus Christ+ our Lord, be glory,+ majesty, might+ and authority+ for all past eternity*+ and now and into all eternity.+ Amen.+