For in this way, you will be provided with a rich welcome into the never ending kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ [i.e., in heaven].

knowing that [I will] soon put off my "tent" [i.e., I will soon die], even as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

For we did not use cleverly conceived stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, because we were eyewitnesses of His Majesty [i.e., the apostles had personally seen the miraculous power of Jesus].

For Jesus had received honor and glory from God, the Father, when [God's] voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory saying, "This is my dearly loved Son, and I am very pleased with Him."

But just as there were false prophets among the people before, there will also be false teachers among you [Christians]. They will privately teach harmful doctrines that destroy people [spiritually], by even denying [that Jesus is] the Master, [and thereby] destroying themselves quickly.

For if people who have escaped from the defiling practices of the world by coming to know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, become tangled up in them again, and are overcome by them, these people are worse off than before they were converted.

But grow in the unearned favor and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May He be honored both now and forever. May it be so.

We [apostles] proclaim to you [the truth about Jesus], who existed from the beginning [of time]. We have heard [Him] and seen [Him] with our [own] eyes. We looked at Him, and [even] touched Him with our hands. [See John 20:20]. [So, we proclaim that] He is the word of life [i.e., the life-giving Word]!

We declare to you what we have seen and heard [concerning Christ], so that you also may share a relationship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

But, if we live in the light [of righteousness] just like God [constantly] lives in the light [of righteousness], we can truly share a relationship with one another and [can know that] the blood of Jesus, God's Son, continues to cleanse [our spirits] from all of our sins.

My little children [i.e., dear ones], I am writing this to you so that you will not sin anymore. But if anyone does sin, we have Someone to go to the Father on our behalf; it is Jesus Christ, the [only] righteous One.

And here is how we can be assured that we know Jesus [i.e., that we are saved]: [It is] by obeying what He commands us.

The person who claims he is continuing to live in [fellowship with] Jesus should also live the way He did.

My dearly loved ones, I am not writing to you about a new commandment, but about an old one. [It is the one] you had learned about from the beginning. [Note: This is the commandment to love one another (3:1: II John 5) which Jesus had taught his disciples during His earthly ministry. See Mark 12:31]. This old commandment is the word [of God] which you heard [previously].

Yet, I am [also] writing to you about a new commandment [Note: This commandment was to love one another as Jesus loved them. See John 13:34]; its truth is [being demonstrated] by Christ [perfectly] and [also] by you people [in a lesser measure], because the darkness [of sin] is passing away, and the real light [of righteousness] is already shining [in people's lives].

But, you people have a "special gift" from the Holy One [Note: The Greek word for "special gift" is "charisma" and probably refers to the Holy Spirit (See Acts 2:38); "Holy One" probably refers to Jesus, (See Acts 2:27; 3:14)], and all of you know [the truth].

Who is the liar? It is the person who denies that Jesus [truly] is the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen One]. This person is the antichrist [See verse 18]; he is the one who denies [the truth about] the Father and the Son.

Dearly loved ones, we are God's children now, but it has not yet been revealed [to us] what we will be [in the future life, Luke 20:34-36]. But, we do know this, however, that when Jesus is revealed [i.e., at His second coming], we will be like Him [I Cor. 15:49], for we will see what He really looks like!

And every person who has set his hope on this [i.e., of being like Jesus], will live [as] purely [as possible], just as He [i.e., Jesus Himself] is pure.

Here is how we can know what genuine love really is: It was [demonstrated by] Jesus laying down His life [on the cross] for us. And [because of that] we [too] should [be willing to] lay down our lives for [the sake of helping] our brothers [and sisters].

And this is His commandment: We should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ [i.e., the person of Christ], and love one another, just He has commanded us to do.

Here is how to know [who is speaking from] the Holy Spirit of God: Every spirit [i.e., person] who proclaims that Jesus Christ has come [to earth] in a physical body is [speaking] from God. [See I Cor. 12:3].

But every spirit who does not proclaim [this truth about] Jesus is not [speaking] from God. And this [person] represents the spirit of the antichrist [See 2:18-22; II John 7], whom you have heard would come. Well, now he is already here!

Whoever proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God, God [continually] lives in that person's heart, and he lives in [fellowship with] God [See 2:23].

Here is what a complete love will do for us: It will give us boldness in [facing] the judgment day, because the way Jesus acts [regarding love] is the way we should act [while] in this world.

Every person who believes that Jesus is the Christ [i.e., God's specially chosen one] has been [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God. And everyone who [continually] loves God, who did the conceiving, also [must continually] love the person whom God has [spiritually] conceived.

And who is the person who can overcome [the evil influence of] the world? [It is] the one who [truly] believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

This Jesus is the one whose coming [to earth was introduced] by water [at His immersion. See Matt. 3:13] and [completed] by blood [at His crucifixion, John 19:17-37]. He did not come by the water only, but by the water and by the blood. And it is the Holy Spirit who gives testimony [at both of these events], because the Holy Spirit is [always] the truth. [See John 16:13].

For there are three who give their testimony [about Jesus]:

The person who [sincerely] believes in God's Son has the evidence [of it] within his heart, [confirming God's testimony]. The person who does not believe God [i.e., what He says about Jesus], accuses Him of lying, because he has not accepted the [irrefutable] testimony of God concerning [the identity and mission of] His Son.

And [in addition], we know that the Son of God has come [in a physical body, See 4:2] and has given us understanding, so that we can know the True One [i.e., God], and that we are in [fellowship with] the True One, even His Son Jesus Christ. This Son is the true God and eternal life.

Unearned favor, mercy and peace will be with us from God, the Father, and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love [i.e., truth and love will accompany the other blessings].

For many deceivers have begun circulating in the world; they are those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come [to earth] in a physical body. Such a person is the deceiver and the antichrist [See I John 2:18f].

For they went out, [ministering] for the sake of [Jesus'] name, without taking [any money] from Gentiles [i.e., non-Christians].

[This is being written by] Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ, and a brother of James [Note: This "Jude" was probably not the apostle. See verses 17-18], to those who have been called [by God], who are also loved in [fellowship with] God the Father, and who are kept [safe] in [fellowship with] Jesus Christ.

For certain men have secretly infiltrated [your ranks]; they are men who had been written about long ago that they should be judged [and condemned] for perverting the unearned favor of our God into [a license for] living unrestrained, indecent lives, and who deny [the identity and work of] our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

But you dearly loved ones, you should remember the message that was previously told to you by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Keep yourselves in God's love [i.e., continue to love God], as you look forward to [receiving] the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, [who will grant you] never ending life.

[May these qualities be attributed] to the only God and our Savior, through [the person and work of] Jesus Christ our Lord, before [the beginning of] time [as well as] now and forever. May it be so.

[This is the record of] the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave [Him] to show to His servants. [It contains] the things which were soon to happen, and Christ sent His angel [i.e., messenger] to inform His servant, [the apostle] John, [about them].

[So], John testified concerning everything he saw of God's message and Jesus Christ's testimony [of it].

[It is also] from Jesus Christ, who is the Faithful Witness [to the truth], the Firstborn from the dead [i.e., the first One raised never to die again], the Ruler of the kings of the world. May there be honor and power forever and ever to Christ, who loved us and released us from our sins by His blood [Note: Some manuscripts say "washed us" since the two words are spelled almost alike].

Look, He [i.e., Jesus] is coming with [i.e., "on"] the clouds! And [then] every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him, and all the peoples of the earth will grieve because of Him [i.e., because of how they had treated Him]. So it will be. May it be so.

I [am] John, your brother who participates with you in the suffering and kingdom and endurance [which we experience] in [fellowship with] Jesus. I was on the island called Patmos for [preaching] God's message and for testifying about Jesus. [Note: Patmos was located in the Aegean Sea between present-day Greece and Turkey].

and in the middle of the lampstands I saw someone [who looked] like a son of man [i.e., Jesus. See verses 17-18]. He was dressed in a robe that reached down to His feet and He had a golden sash around His chest.

"And write [this] to the angel of the church at Smyrna: These things are the words of the First and the Last [i.e., Jesus], who was dead, but has come [back] to life:

And I will give him the morning star [Note: Jesus is called "the Morning Star" in 22:16].

"And write [this] to the angel of the church at Sardis: These are the words of Him who has the seven Spirits of God [i.e., Jesus, who has the Holy Spirit] and the seven stars [i.e., the seven angels of the seven churches. See 1:20]: I know about your deeds, that you have a reputation for being [spiritually] alive, but you are [really] dead.

And when the Lamb broke open the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed for [believing and preaching] God's message, and for the testimony [about Jesus] which they had maintained.

Then the dragon became enraged at the woman and went away to wage war against the rest of the woman's offspring, who obey God's commandments and who remain true to their testimony about Jesus. {\o Rev 12:18} Then the dragon stood on the seashore. [Note: Some manuscripts say, "I stood"].

Here is [where] God's holy people, who obey His commandments and the faith of Jesus, [need] perseverance.

And I saw that the woman was drunk on the blood of God's holy people and on the blood of those [who were killed] witnessing about Jesus. And when I saw her I was greatly amazed.

Then I fell down in front of him to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do that; I am [only] a fellow-servant with you and with your brothers who hold onto the testimony about Jesus. You should worship God. For the testimony about Jesus is the spirit [i.e., the purpose, or source] of prophecy."

Then I saw thrones, with individuals sitting on them who had been given [authority] to judge. And I [also] saw the souls of those who had been decapitated because they had testified about Jesus and [had proclaimed] the message of God. [They are] the ones who had refused to worship the beast or his statue, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And these ones lived again and ruled with Christ for a thousand years.

"Listen," [says Jesus], "I am coming quickly! And my reward is with me to pay [back] every person for what he has done.

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you people about these things for [the benefit of] the churches [See 1:4]. I am the Root and the descendant of King David, the bright Morning Star."

I testify to every person who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [Note: This is probably Jesus speaking, but could possibly be John]. If anyone adds to these words, God will add to him the calamities described in this book.

The One who testifies about these things [i.e., Jesus] says, "Yes, I am coming soon." May this be so. Come [ahead] Lord Jesus!

May the unearned favor of the Lord Jesus be with all of you. [Note: Some ancient manuscripts say "with God's holy people"]. May it be so.