A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
1 John 1
1 John 1 is the opening chapter of the sixty-second book of the Bible. The 10-verse chapter opens the book with a brief prologue echoing the gospel of John and the first part of an argument about fellowship with God and the reality of sin.
The chapter opens without a standard greeting, which is unusual for a New Testament letter. Instead, John launches directly into a prologue. He writes about that which was from the beginning, which he and his companions have heard, seen with their eyes, looked at, and touched with their hands. This concerns the Word of life. The life appeared; they have seen it and testify to it, proclaiming the eternal life that was with the Father and has appeared to them.
The reason for writing is then stated. John proclaims what he has seen and heard so that his readers may have fellowship with him and his coworkers. Their fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. He writes these things to make their joy complete.
The body of the chapter then begins. The message they have heard from Jesus and announce is that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
The chapter closes with a paired set of statements about sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his word is not in us.
Verse 1. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands—this is the Word of life.
Verse 2. And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us.
Verse 3. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.
Verse 4. We write these things so that our joy may be complete.
Verse 5. And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.
Verse 6. If we say we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
Verse 7. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
Verse 8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
Verse 9. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Verse 10. If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.
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