⁴Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁵You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins,^C^y and there is no sin in him.^z ⁶Everyone who remains in him^aa does not sin;^D^ab everyone who sins^E has not seen him or known him.

⁷Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸The one who commits^F sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God^ac was revealed^ad for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. ⁹Everyone who has been born of God^ae does not sin,^G because his seed^af remains in him; he is not able to sin,^H because he has been born of God. ¹⁰This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.^ag

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Footnotes

COther read our sins
DOr not keep on sinning
EOr who keeps on sinning
FOr practices
GOr not practice sin
HOr to keep on sinning

Cross references

y Jn 1:29; 1Co 15:3; Heb 10:4; 1Pt 2:24
z 2Co 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1Pt 2:21–22; 3:18; 1Jn 2:29
aa Jn 15:4–7; 1Jn 2:6,24,27–28; 3:24; 4:13,15–16
ab Rm 6:11–12; 1Jn 2:29; 5:18
ac Mk 1:11
ad Jn 21:1; 2Co 4:11; 1Pt 5:4; 1Jn 5:20
ae 1Jn 2:29
af 1Pt 1:23
ag 1Jn 2:10; 3:14–17; 4:20–21

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

NLTNew Living Translation

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that that one was revealed in order that he might take away sins, and in him there is no sin. Everyone who resides in him does not sin. Everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God was revealed: in order to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who is fathered by God does not practice sin, because his seed resides in him, and he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are evident: everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, namely, the one who does not love his brother.

KJV 1900King James Version

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

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