1 John 2
1 You who are very dear to me, I am writing this to you [to say], “Do not sin!” But if any of you [believers] sins, [God can forgive you because] we have Jesus Christ, who is the righteous one, who speaks to the Father on our behalf [and asks him to forgive us].
Mijn kinderkens, ik schrijf u dit, opdat gij niet zondigt. En mocht iemand zondigen, dan hebben we bij den Vader een Helper: Jesus Christus, den Gerechte;
2 [Remember that Jesus Christ] voluntarily sacrificed [his own life for us, so that as a result God forgives] our sins. [Yes, God is able to forgive] our sins, but not only ours! [He is] also [able to forgive] the sins of people everywhere!
Hij is een verzoening voor onze zonden; en niet voor de onze alleen, maar ook voor die van heel de wereld.
3 [I will tell you] how we can be sure that we (know/have a close relationship with) [God]. [If we] obey what he commands [us to do, that shows us that we have a close relationship with him. So we must always obey what he commands us to do].
En hieraan weten we, dat we Hem kennen: wanneer we zijn geboden onderhouden.
4 Those who say, “We (know/have a close relationship with) God,” and do not obey what [God] commands [us to do], are liars. They are not conducting their lives according to [God’s] true message.
Wie zegt: Ik ken Hem, doch zijn geboden niet onderhoudt, hij is een leugenaar, en in hem is de waarheid niet.
5 But those who obey what [God] commands them to do are the people who love God in the manner in which he wants us to. [I will tell you] how we can be sure that we have a close relationship with God:
Maar wie zijn woord onderhoudt, in hem is waarlijk de volmaakte liefde tot God; hieraan erkennen we, dat we in Hem zijn.
6 If we say that we are living as God wants us to, we should [conduct our lives] as Christ [did].
Wie beweert, in Hem te blijven, die moet wandelen zoals Hij heeft gewandeld.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new [additional] command to you. Instead, I am writing to you a command which was given to you when you first [MTY] [believed in Christ]. That command is [part of] the message that you have [always] heard.
Geliefden, niet over een nieuw gebod schrijf ik u, maar over een oud, dat gij gehad hebt van de aanvang af; dat oude gebod is het woord, dat gij gehoord hebt.
8 Nevertheless, [I can say that] the command I am writing to you is a new command. [It is new because] what Christ [did] was new, and what you [are doing] is new, because [you have been ceasing to conduct your lives in a morally impure manner] and [are now truly conducting your lives in a pure manner. That is like] [MET] no longer [living in] darkness. Instead, [it is like] living where a brilliant light is already shining.
Toch is het ook een nieuw gebod, dat ik u schrijf: -wat waar is voor Hem en voor u; -want de duisternis is voorbij, en het ware licht is reeds aan het schijnen.
9 Those who claim that they are [pure in every way, like people] [MET] living in the light, but hate any of their fellow believers, are still [behaving in an impure manner, like] [MET] [people who are continually living] in darkness.
Wie beweert, in het licht te zijn, maar zijn broeder haat, hij is ook nu nog in duisternis.
10 But those who love their fellow believers [are continuing to conduct their lives like people] who are living in the light. They are people who please [God] [LIT]. [So you should love your fellow believers].
Wie zijn broeder liefheeft, blijft in het licht, en voor hem ligt er geen struikelblok;
11 But those who hate any of their fellow believers are still [conducting their lives in an impure way, like] [MET] [people who are living] in darkness. They do not know that they will eventually destroy themselves [eternally]. They have become [spiritually] blind [PRS, MET], [unaware of spiritual truth].
maar wie zijn broeder haat, hij is in de duisternis, wandelt in duisternis, en weet niet, waartoe hij komen kan, omdat de duisternis zijn ogen verblindt.
12 I am writing [this] to you [whom I love as though] [MET] [you were my] little children, to you who are [spiritually mature people who are like] [MET] fathers, and to you [spiritually vigorous/strong people who are like] [MET] young men. Remember that your sins have been forgiven {[God] has forgiven your sins} on account of what Christ [MTY] [has done]. You now know [Christ, the one] who always existed. You have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
Ik schrijf u, kinderkens, omdat de zonden u zijn vergeven om wille van zijn Naam.
Ik schrijf u, vaders, omdat gij Hèm hebt leren kennen, die van de aanvang af bestaat. Ik schrijf u, jonge mannen, omdat gij den Boze hebt overwonnen.
14 [I will say it again]: I have written [this] to you because you have come to know the Father, because you now know [Christ, the one] who always existed, because you are [spiritually] strong, because you continue to [obey] God’s word, and because you have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
Kinderkens, ik heb u vroeger geschreven, omdat gij den Vader hebt leren kennen. Vaders, ik heb u geschreven, omdat gij Hèm hebt leren kennen, die van de aanvang af bestaat. Jonge mannen, ik heb u geschreven, omdat gij sterk zijt en het woord van God in u blijft, en omdat gij den Boze hebt overwonnen.
15 Do not desire [to conduct you lives in the evil manner in which] godless [people in] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives], and do not love anything that [the evil people] in the world [MTY] [consider to be good]. Those who desire [to conduct their lives in the evil manner in which other people of] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives] do not [really] love [God], their Father, [at all].
Hebt de wereld niet lief, noch al wat er is in de wereld. Want wanneer iemand de wereld liefheeft, dan is er geen liefde tot den Vader in hem;
16 Keep in mind that all [the evil human desires] in the world [are actions/things such as these]: [People] desire to do [what] their self-directed nature [strongly desires]. [People] desire [to possess] whatever (appeals to their senses/they see or hear about). [People] boast about the material things that they possess. [Such evil ways of living] do not originate/come from the Father! Instead they originate/come from [the (godless people in] the world/people in the world who conduct their lives in a manner that displeases God) [MTY]!
want al wat er is in de wereld: de begeerlijkheid des vlezes, de begeerlijkheid der ogen en de hovaardij des levens: is niet uit den Vader, maar is uit de wereld.
17 The [godless people in] the world [MTY], along with what they desire, will disappear, but those who do what God wants [them to do] will live forever! You know that it is now the final period of this age when there are liars who deny that Jesus is God’s Chosen One. But you have the power of God’s Spirit and you know what is true and what is false. So continue to live according to the true message that you heard when you began to believe in Christ, in order that you may continue to live united both to God’s Son and to the Father. (aiōn g165)
En de wereld gaat voorbij met haar begeerlijkheid; maar wie de wil van God volbrengt, blijft in eeuwigheid. (aiōn g165)
18 [You who are very dear to me], it is [now] (the final part [MTY] [of this age/] final [period of time before Jesus returns]). Just like you heard [from us apostles] that a person who opposes Christ will come/appear, even now there are many people who oppose Christ. That is why we know that it is the final part [of this age] (OR, [before Jesus returns]) [MTY].
Kinderkens, het laatste uur is daar! En zoals gij gehoord hebt, komt dan de Antichrist. Ook nu is er menig Antichrist opgestaan; daaruit weten we, dat het laatste uur daar is.
19 The [people who oppose Christ] refused to remain in our congregations, but they never [really] (belonged with us/were fellow believers). If they had (belonged with us/been fellow believers), they would have remained with us. But because [they left, everyone] can clearly know that none of them (belongs with us/is a fellow believer).
Uit ons midden kwamen ze voort, maar toch, ze maakten geen deel van ons uit. Want hadden ze tot ons behoord, dan zouden ze bij ons zijn gebleven. Maar dit is geschied, opdat door hen het duidelijk zou worden, dat niet allen deel uitmaken van ons.
20 But as for you, you have been given the power of [God’s Spirit, which comes from Christ] (OR, [God]), the Holy One. [As a result], you all know [how to] ([distinguish false teaching from/recognize what is false teaching and what is]) [the true message].
Maar gij hebt de Zalving van den Heilige, en allen bezit gij kennis.
21 I am writing [this letter] to you, not because you do not know [what is God’s] true message, but because you do know [what it is]. You also know that no false message originates/comes from [God, who is the source of all] truth.
Ik schrijf u dan ook niet, omdat gij de waarheid niet kent, maar omdat ge haar wèl kent, en weet, dat geen leugen deel uitmaakt van de waarheid.
22 The [worst] liars are the ones who deny that Jesus is (the Messiah/the one whom God chose to rescue us). They are [the ones that we told you about], the ones who oppose Christ. They refuse to acknowledge/admit that [God is] the Father and that [Jesus is his] Son (OR, the one who is also God).
Wie anders zou er nog leugenaar zijn, wanneer hij het niet is, die loochent, dat Jesus de Christus is? De Antichrist is hij, die loochent den Vader en den Zoon.
23 Those who refuse to acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son do not have a relationship with the Father. But those who acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son [not only have a relationship with God’s Son, but they] have a relationship with the Father also.
Wie den Zoon loochent, heeft ook den Vader niet; wie den Zoon belijdt, heeft ook den Vader.
24 [So], as for you, you must continue to conduct your lives according to [the true message] that you heard when you began [MTY] [to believe in Christ]. If you continue to [do that], you will continue to have a close relationship with both [God’s] Son and the Father.
Wat u betreft: wat gij gehoord hebt van de aanvang af, het blijve in u. Wanneer in u blijft, wat gij van de aanvang af hebt gehoord, dan zult gij ook zelf blijven in den Zoon en in den Vader.
En dit is dan de belofte, die Hij ons heeft gegeven: het eeuwig leven. (aiōnios g166)
26 I have written this to you [to] ([warn you] about/tell you to beware of) those [who want to] deceive you [concerning the truth about Christ].
Dit alles schrijf ik u met het oog op hen, die u misleiden.
27 As for you, God’s Spirit, whom you received from Christ, remains in you. So you do not need anyone to teach you [anything else that they claim/say is the truth]. God’s Spirit is teaching you all [of God’s truth that you need to know]. God’s Spirit is truthful and never says anything that is false. So continue to conduct your lives in the way that [he has] taught you.
Wat toch uzelf betreft: in u blijft de Zalving, die gij van Hem ontvangen hebt; gij hebt dus niet nodig, dat iemand u leert. Maar juist zoals zijn Zalving het u leert, zó is dat alles ook waar en geen leugen. Blijft in Hem, zoals Zij het u heeft geleerd.
28 Now, [while some people are trying to persuade you to accept their false teaching, I urge] you, who are all very dear to me, to continue to [have a close relationship with] Christ. [We need to do that] in order that we may be confident [that he will accept us] when he comes back again. If we do that, we will not be ashamed [when we stand] before [him] when he comes.
Kinderkens, blijft thans in Hem, opdat we vertrouwen mogen hebben, als Hij verschijnt, en niet voor Hem beschaamd zullen staan bij zijn Komst.
29 Since you know that [Christ] always does what is right, you know that all those who continue doing what is right are the ones who have become children of God.
Wanneer gij weet, dat Hij rechtvaardig is, dan weet gij ook, dat allen, die de rechtvaardigheid betrachten, uit Hem zijn geboren.
