1 John 3 You people at once consider (or: look and perceive) what kind of (what sort of; what unusual, foreign or exotic) love (or: acceptance) the Father has given to (or: in; for) us other MSS: you, which we now have as a gift, to the end that we can (may; should; would) be called (or: named) God's children (born-ones; bairns)! And we are! Because of this (On account of this; Therefore) the System (the world; the realm of the secular and religious; the ordered arrangement of culture, religion, economy and government) is not habitually having experiential or intimate knowledge of us (does not know or have insight into us other MSS: you), because it did not know (or: it does not have an intimate, experiential knowledge of) Him.

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ You people at once consider (or: look and perceive) what kind of (what sort of; what unusual, foreign or exotic) love (or: acceptance) the Father has given to (or: in; for) us [other MSS: you], which we now have as a gift, to the end that we can (may; should; would) be called (or: named) God's children (born-ones; bairns)! And we are! Because of this (On account of this; Therefore) the System (the world; the realm of the secular and religious; the ordered arrangement of culture, religion, economy and government) is not habitually having experiential or intimate knowledge of us (does not know or have insight into us [other MSS: you]), because it did not know (or: it does not have an intimate, experiential knowledge of) Him. ² Beloved ones, now (at the present time) we continuously exist being God's children (born-ones; bairns from the standpoint of origin), and it has not yet been made visible (or: it is not yet apparent or manifested) what we will proceed in being. We have perceived, and thus know (or: are aware) that if it (or: He) should be (or: whenever it {or: He} may be) made visible, apparent and manifested, [then] folks like to Him (like-ones to Him; ones like Him; people resembling Him) we will be existing, because we will continue seeing and will be progressively perceiving Him just as (according and exactly as; in the manner that) He constantly exists (or: He is). ³ So everyone who continuously has (or: habitually holds) this expectation (or: expectant hope) [placed; resting] upon Him is [by this] constantly (repeatedly; progressively) purifying himself, just as (according as; in the way that) That One is (or: exists being) pure. ⁴ Everyone constantly practicing (habitually committing; progressively producing) the error (or: deviation; missing of the target; sin; failure) is also constantly practicing the lawlessness (or: habitually commits a lawless act, or progressively does the violation of custom), and the error (or: the failure to hit the target; the deviation; the sin) exists being (or: is) the lawlessness (or: the violation of law or the act apart from custom is the mistake and the error). ⁵ You have also perceived, and thus know and are aware, that That One was manifested (made visible) to the end that He would in a point of time lift up and carry away (or: sustain, bear and raise up) the errors (or: those failures to hit the target; the mistakes; those deviations; the sins; [some MSS: our sins]), and yet error (failure to hit the target; deviation; sins) does not exist within Him (or: and in Him is no sin or failure). ⁶ Everyone continuously remaining (dwelling; keeping his residence; abiding; staying) within and in union with Him is not habitually missing the target (practicing sin; repeatedly failing in his purpose); everyone continually failing to hit the target (habitually sinning; progressively in error) has neither seen Him, nor come to know Him by intimate experience or insight. ⁷ Little children (born-ones), let no one be constantly leading you astray (misleading or deceiving you); the person continually doing that which is in accord with the Way pointed out (or: repeatedly practicing rightwisedness; progressively producing the justice, fairness and equity in right [covenantal] relationships) is (or: exists being) just (or: a person in accord with the Way pointed out; righteous; fair; equitable; rightwised; someone turned in the right direction, and is in [covenant] relationships), according as (just as) That One is just (is One in accord with the Way pointed out; is righteous, fair, equitable and offers the right covenant relationships). ⁸ Yet the person habitually practicing (repeatedly doing; progressively producing) the error (the failure to hit the target or accomplish his purpose; or: the sin; the mistake; the deviation) is existing from out of the adversary who thrusts something through the midst, [with a weapon, or with ill-intent], creating a wound or division (or: = is [operating] from [the influence of] the “devil”), because this adversary is habitually sinning (or: repeatedly missing the target; continuously falling short of the goal; constantly deviating from his purpose) from [the] beginning (or: from [its] origin). Into this [situation] was (or: is) God's Son manifested and made visible, to the end that He would unbind (loose; untie; destroy; disintegrate) the works and actions of the adversary who casts things through the midst of folks. ⁹ Everyone who has been given birth, and is now in the state of having been born, from out of the midst of God is not habitually practicing failure to hit the target (repeatedly doing sin; constantly producing error), because His Seed (sperm) is continuously remaining (dwelling; abiding) within him (or: within, and in union with, Him), and he is not able (or: he has no power) to constantly fail to hit the target (repeatedly sin; continuously deviate; go on failing; continue in error), because he has been born forth from out of God. ¹⁰ [Both] God's children and the adversary's children are constantly visible (apparent; manifest) within this [thing or situation]: everyone not practicing righteousness (not habitually doing justice; not progressively constructing his life turned in the right direction to accord with the Way pointed out; not being fair or equitable; not being in [covenant] relationships) as well as the one not continuously loving his brother (= a believer, or fellowman) is not existing out of God (= is not living with God being his source of life and direction), ¹¹ because this is the message [other MSS: promise; or: complete announcement] which you heard (or: hear) from [the] beginning, so that we are habitually (or: to the end that we would or could progressively be) loving (accepting and participating in) one another – ¹² not [living] like (or: not just as) Cain. He was existing, and continued being, from out of the condition (or: situation; or: one; thing; = influence) causing misery and hard labor (the unprofitable attitude; the worthless mindset; the wicked intent; the toilsome situation; the sorry plight), and so he slaughtered (killed by cutting his jugular vein) his brother. And on what score (or: for what pleasure) did he slaughter him? Because his works (actions) were gushed with misery and hard labor (were wicked or evil; were toilsome; were unprofitable and worthless), but those of his brother [were] ones in accord with the Way pointed out (just ones; righteous ones; fair and equitable ones; rightwised ones). ¹³ Stop marveling (Cease wondering; Quit being astonished), brothers, if (or: since) the ordered System (world of culture and religion; or: the estranged secular system of governmental control) is constantly hating you (habitually regarding you with ill-will). ¹⁴ We ourselves have seen, and thus know (or: are aware), that we have walked together (or: proceeded to change, passing from) out of the Death into the Life, because we are habitually loving the brothers (= fellow believers; [some MSS: our brothers; {or: = our fellow human beings}]). The person not habitually loving [some MSS add: his brothers] continues remaining (dwelling; abiding; staying) within the Death. ¹⁵ Everyone constantly hating (or: regarding with ill-will) his brother constantly exists being a person-slayer (a murderer), and has not seen so as to be aware that every person-slayer does not presently have (or: is not continuously holding) life having its source in, or having the quality of, the Age (or: eonian life) presently remaining within him (or: continuously dwelling and abiding in union with him). ¹⁶ Within this we have come to know the Love (acceptance which drives to overcome estrangement and achieve reunion) by intimate experience: that That One placed (or: places; sets; deposited) His soul over us; we ourselves are also constantly indebted (obligated) to place [our] souls over the brothers (= fellow believers, or, fellow humans; = [God’s] family). ¹⁷ But whoever may continuously have the world's means of living (or: may habitually hold the sustenance of the life pertaining to the secular ordered System), and may habitually gaze upon his brother [who is] continuously having a need, and may close shut (or: would slam and lock) his intestines (= his compassions) away from him, how is God's love dwelling (abiding; remaining; staying) within him (or, reading as a future: how will God's love dwell in him)? ¹⁸ Little children (little born-ones), we should not be habitually loving in word (by a word or thought), nor even in (or: by) the tongue, but rather within action (deed; work) and truth (or: reality). ¹⁹ And within this we shall come to know by our own experience that we continuously exist (or: are) from out of the midst of the Truth (Reality), and so before Him (in front of Him; in His very presence) we shall progressively persuade (prevail upon; convince; win over; reassure; set at ease; render tranquil) our hearts, ²⁰ because, even if our heart may continually condemn (censure; know-down by experience), God is constantly greater than our heart, and He knows all mankind, (all people; or: everything; all things) by intimate experience. ²¹ Beloved ones [other MSS: Brothers], if our heart should not be constantly condemning or censuring (or: would not repeatedly experience negative insights or habitually have knowledge which leads [some MSS add: us] down), we constantly have confident freedom in speaking (boldness from our citizenship) toward and face to face with God, ²² and whatever we may continuously ask (or: habitually request), we keep on progressively receiving from Him, because we are regularly keeping (attentively watching over, guarding and observing) His implanted goals (impartations of the finished product within; inward directives of purpose and destiny) and are constantly doing (performing; constructing; producing) the things [that are] pleasing and acceptable in His sight (or: before Him). ²³ And this is His implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directive of the end in mind): namely that we could, should and would be continuously believing, progressively trusting, and habitually faithful [other MSS: would at once place faith and trust] in and by the Name (or: constantly loyal to and for the Name; habitually full of faith with the Name) of His Son, Jesus Christ, and thus should be constantly (or: habitually; progressively) loving (accepting; overcoming estrangement to) one another, precisely (or: accordingly; correspondingly) as He gave [the] implanted goal (or: gives an impartation of the finished product within, with an inward directive of the purposed end and destiny) to us, for us and in us. ²⁴ And the person habitually watching to attentively keep His implanted goals (impartations of the finished product within; inward directives of destiny) continuously remains (dwells; abides; stays) within and in union with Him, and He Himself within and in union with him. And within this we are constantly coming to know by intimate experience that He is continuously abiding (dwelling; remaining; staying) within us and in union with us: from out of the Spirit (or: from the midst of the Breath-effect; forth from the attitude) which He gives (or: at one point gave) to us (or: in us).