1 John 2 My little children (born ones), I am writing these things to you (or: for you) to the end that you may not fail to hit the target (deviate from the goal; sin). And if anyone should at some point fail (or: suddenly commit sin, make a mistake or deviate), we constantly have One called alongside to help, give relief and guide us toward the Father (or: we continuously possess a Paraclete, face to face with the Father): Jesus Christ, the One in accord with the Way pointed out (or: a Just One; the Righteous One; the Fair One who is in right relationship with all; a Rightwised One; the right one; a Person that is turned in the right direction).

JMNT⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ My little children (born ones), I am writing these things to you (or: for you) to the end that you may not fail to hit the target (deviate from the goal; sin). And if anyone should at some point fail (or: suddenly commit sin, make a mistake or deviate), we constantly have One called alongside to help, give relief and guide us toward the Father (or: we continuously possess a Paraclete, face to face with the Father): Jesus Christ, [the] One in accord with the Way pointed out (or: a Just One; [the] Righteous One; [the] Fair One who is in right relationship with all; a Rightwised One; [the] right one; a Person that is turned in the right direction). ² And He Himself exists continually being a cleansing, sheltering cover around our mistakes and errors, sheltering us from their effects so that we can be in peaceful and rightwised relationships (or: being the act by which our sins and failures are cleansed and made ineffective, effecting conciliation [to us]), yet not only around those pertaining to us (or: having their source in us), but further, even around the whole ordered System (secular realm and dominating world of culture, economy, religion and government; or: universe; or: aggregate of mankind)! ³ And so within this [situation], if we could be continuously watchful and would habitually keep, guard, observe, and maintain His implanted purposes and internalized goals (or: inner projections of destiny), we [would] progressively know through experience and continue to recognize with insight, because we have come to know Him, and we now experience Him intimately with insightful knowledge. (or: So in union with this [relationship] – should we constantly maintain His impartations from the finished product, and would observe His inward directives of destiny – we progressively know by experience, and recognize by insight, that we have known Him.) ⁴ The person who keeps on saying, "I have come to know Him by experience, " and yet is not habitually keeping (observing) His implanted goals (impartations of the finished product within; inward directives), is a liar (exists being one who speaks falsehood) and God's Truth (the Reality of God; the Genuine Actuality which is God) is not (or: does not exist) within this one. ⁵ Yet whoever may be habitually keeping (attentively guarding to observe) His Word (Thought; Idea; message), truly (or: actually; in reality) within this person God's Love has been perfected and brought to its goal (or: the love which is God has been matured, finished and reached its purposed destiny). In this we constantly know experientially that we continuously exist within the midst of Him, and in union with Him. ⁶ The person habitually speaking [thus, as though] to be constantly abiding (remaining; dwelling) within Him, is continuously under obligation himself also to go on walking about (= behaving and conducting his life) just as That One (or: on the level and in the sphere as [He]) walked (or: walks; = lives His life). ⁷ Beloved ones, I am not writing an implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directive of purpose) new in kind or quality to you (or: for you), but rather an old implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directive of destiny) which you folks have continually had (or: were habitually holding) from [the] beginning. The old implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directed destiny) is the Word (Thought; Idea; message) which you folks heard (or: attentively hear [and thus obey])! ⁸ Again, (or: Once more) I am writing to you an implanted goal (impartation of the finished product within; inward directive) new in kind and quality, which is (exists being) true (actual; real; genuine) within Him, and within you [other MSS: us], that the Darkness (the obscure dimness of the realm of the shadows and of lack of the light of the Day; [note: a figure of the ignorance of the prior system and realm]) is progressively being caused to pass by, and the True Light (or: = real knowledge and understanding; = Light of the new Day) is already (before now) progressively shining and appearing. ⁹ The person who keeps on speaking [thus, as though] to be within the Light, and yet is constantly hating (or: regarding with ill-will) his brother (or: = fellow believer; or: fellow member of his society), is a liar and continues being within the Darkness (the obscure dimness of the realm of the shadows and lack of the light of the Day; = prior night) until the present moment. ¹⁰ The person habitually loving (seeking accepting reunion with) his brother constantly abides (remains; dwells; = has his home) within and in union with the Light, and there exists no snare (trap-spring; stick upon which bait is put; = cause for stumbling) within him. ¹¹ But the person habitually hating (or: repeatedly having ill-will toward) his brother (or: = fellow believer or fellowman) constantly exists within the Darkness (the obscure dimness of the realm of the shadows, lacking of the light of the Day) and so continuously walks about amidst the Darkness, and has not seen so is not aware where he is progressively departing (or: habitually going away), because that Darkness blinds (or: blinded) his eyes. ¹² I am writing to you, little children (or: young born ones), that the failures (mistakes; sins; deviations; situations of missing the goal) have been sent away (or: caused to flow away; put away; divorced; forgiven) for you through His Name (or: because of the Name which is Him)! ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers (or: parents), that you have by experience known, and now have intimate insight of, the One [Who is] from [the] beginning (or: the Original One). I am writing to you, young men (or: youths), that you have overcome (conquered; are victorious over) the one bringing a gush of misery (or: the useless, unprofitable situation; the wicked man; the evil one; the bad situation or sorry plight; the worthless man; the pernicious and knavish fellow; the one causing anguish and painful labor; the condition full of harassed toil and annoying perils; the base fellow) – and this now exists as a decided victory. ¹⁴ I write to you, little boys and girls, or servants, who might be hit for discipline (or: those of the age for being educated and trained), that you have by experience known the Father; I write to you, fathers (or: parents), that you have by experience known, and now have insight into, the One [Who is] from [the] beginning (or: the Original One). I write to you, young men (or: youths), that you are (or: exist being) constantly strong, and God's Word (Logos; Thought; Idea; message) continuously dwells (abides; remains) within you and you have overcome (conquered; are the victor over) the one bringing a gush of misery (see parenthetical expansion in verse 13, above). ¹⁵ You folks should not be habitually loving (as indicative: are not normally accepting; as imperative: Stop constantly seeking reunion with) the world (secular realm and the controlling ordered System of culture, religion, economy and government), neither (or: not even) the things within the world (ordered system). If anyone is in the habit of (or: keeps on) loving the world (ordered system of religion, or of secular society), the Father's [other MSS: God's] Love (or: the love which the Father has; the Love which is the Father) does not exist within him, ¹⁶ because everything within the world (ordered but dominating System of the secular and the religious) – the flesh's over-desire (full passion of the alienated human nature; lust of the estranged self; earnest wants of the false persona that was conformed to the System), and the eyes' over-desire, and the arrogant ostentation (haughty, presumptuous or pretentious egoism) pertaining to living (= the biological and sociological life we live), is not out of the Father as a source (or: does not proceed from the Father), but rather is continuously forth from out of the world (the ordered System of society, culture and religion), ¹⁷ and the world (ordered System of religion, society, culture, economy and government) is progressively (or: constantly; repeatedly) being caused to pass along (pass by; pass away), as well as its over-desire (full passion; earnest wants; lust), yet the person constantly doing (or: performing) God's will (intent; purpose; desire) remains (abides; dwells) on into the Age (= the time and sphere characterized by the Messiah). ¹⁸ O undeveloped ones or folks of the age to be educated (or: servants, little boys and little girls who might be hit in training and for discipline), it continues being (or: is progressively) a last hour (= an eschaton of the Day, or the closing moment [of the age]), and according as you hear (or: heard) that an antichrist (or: anti-anointing; that which is instead of, or in the place of, Christ or the Anointing) repeatedly comes [other MSS: the anti-anointing (or: antichrist) continuously comes], even now many anti-anointings (or: antichrists; many things or people taking the place of Christ or stand in opposition to the Anointing) have been born and are here (or: have come into existence and are at large), from which fact (or: whence) we constantly know by experience that it continues being a last hour (= a closing moment [of the age]). ¹⁹ They came (or: come; go; or: went) out from us, but they were not existing out of us (or: they were not [a part] of us), for if they were out of us, they would have remained (dwelt; abided) with us; but [this was] to the end that they may be manifested (caused to appear) that they are not all out of us or from us. ²⁰ And further, you folks continue having the effects (or: constantly hold and progressively possess the results) of an anointing from the set-apart One (or: the Holy One), and so you all have seen and are aware (or: know; perceive; [other MSS: and you know all {those} folks]). ²¹ I do not write to you because you do not know the Truth (or: [new] Reality), but rather because you do know it, and because every lie is not forth from the Truth (or: even that all falsehood is not [coming] from Reality). ²² Which one is (exists continuously being) the liar, if not the person habitually denying (repeatedly disowning; = constantly turning his back), [saying] that Jesus is not the Christ (the Anointed One [= Messiah])? This person is (exists being) the anti-anointing (or: anti-anointed person; the one taking the place of and being in the opposite position of the anointing and of Christ): the one habitually denying (constantly turning his back on) the Father and the Son. ²³ Everyone continuously denying or turning his back on the Son does not even have (or: not even is he possessing; neither holds) the Father. The one habitually speaking like the Son (or: the one continuously confessing and avowing the Son; the one habitually speaking in accord with or saying the same thing as the Son) also constantly has (possesses) the Father. ²⁴ As for you folks, let what you heard from [the] beginning be continuously remaining (abiding; dwelling; staying) within you. When (or: If; If at any time) that which you heard from [the] beginning would remain (should abide; can dwell; may stay and make its home) within you, you also will continue remaining (abiding; dwelling; staying) within the Son, even within the midst of and in union with the Father! (or: you will dwell both in the Son and in the Father). ²⁵ And this is (continues being) the Promise which He Himself promised (or: promises) to us [other MSS: to you]: the Life of the Age (or: eonian life; life into the un-seeable future; age-lasting life; Life having the character and qualities of the Age [of Messiah]; life pertaining to the ages; Life for and on through the ages). [note: in Acts 1:4-5 the “Promise” was the Holy Spirit] ²⁶ I write these things [other MSS: But I wrote these things] to you about the folks constantly trying to lead you astray (or: periodically causing you to wander; repeatedly deceiving you), ²⁷ and the effects of the anointing which you folks received (or: receive) from Him constantly remains (abides; dwells; makes its home) within you folks, and you continually have no use (or: you are not constantly having a need) that anyone should keep on teaching you (or: be repeatedly giving you a course of lessons; coach you; instruct you), but rather, just as the effects of His anointing is continuously and progressively teaching you about everything (or: concerning all people), and is continuously true, and real, and is not a lie, even according as it taught (or: as He instructs) you: you are continuously abiding (remaining; dwelling; being at home) within and in union with Him (or, reading as an imperative: be constantly remaining, abiding, staying and dwelling within the midst of Him). ²⁸ And now (at the present time; in this moment), little children (born-ones; bairns), you are continuously (or, reading as imperative: keep on) dwelling (abiding; remaining; staying) within and in union with Him, to the end that if (or: whenever) He (or: it) may be manifested (made visible and apparent; shown in clear light) we can (or: may; should; would) have confident boldness (freedom in speaking associated with citizenship; complete outspoken bluntness) and may not feel or receive shame (disgrace; dishonor; humiliation) from Him, within His presence (or: may not be shamed away from Him in the midst of His presence). ²⁹ If you folks may have come to see (or: perceive), and should now know, that He is continuously One who constantly lives in accord with the Way pointed out (is right, just, fair, rightwised and in right relationship [in covenant]), you continue to know by experience that everyone habitually making or doing fair and equitable dealing (accomplishing that which is right and in accord with the Way pointed out; practicing justice; constructing righteousness; producing rightwised [existence]) has been born and now exists being a born-one (or: now stands begotten), from out of the midst of Him (and: with Him as the Source).