MODERN LITERAL VERSION

3:1 Behold what sort of love* the Father has given to us, that* we might be called children of God. Because of this, the world does not know you*, because it did not know him.
3:2 Beloved, we are now the children of God and it was not yet manifested what we will be. But we know that, if he is manifested, we will be similar to him, because we will see him just-as he is.
3:3 And everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, just-as he is pure.
3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
3:5 And you* know that he was manifested in order that he might take away our sins, and in him is no sin. {Isa. 53:4}
3:6 Everyone who abides in him is not sinning. Everyone who sins has not seen him, nor has known him.
3:7 My little children, let no one mislead you*. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just-as he is righteous.
3:8 He who practices sin is from the Devil, because from the beginning the Devil is sinning, to this end the Son of God was manifested, that* he might dissolve the works of the Devil.
3:9 Everyone who has been born from God does not practice sin, because his seed abides in him and he is not able to practice sin, because he has been born from God.
3:10 The children of God and the children of the Devil are apparent in this, everyone who does not practice righteousness is not from God, nor is he who does not love* his brother.
3:11 Because this is the message which you* heard from the beginning, that* we should love* one another;
3:12 not as Cain who was from the evil one and slaughtered his brother. And he slew him because of what? Because his works were evil but his brother's righteous. {Gen. 4:8}

3:13 Do not marvel my brethren, if the world hates you*.
3:14 We know that we have stepped out of death into life, because we love* the brethren. He who does not love* his brother abides in death.
3:15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer and you* know that no murderer has everlasting life abiding in him.
3:16 We know love* by this, because he laid down his life on our behalf and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brethren.
3:17 But whoever has a good livelihood in the world and may view his brother having need and might lock his heart* from him, how does the love* of God abide in him?
3:18 My little children, do not love* in word, nor with the tongue, but in works and in truth.
3:19 And we know by this that we are from the truth and will persuade our hearts from fear in front of him;
3:20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and he knows all things.
3:21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have boldness toward God;
3:22 and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we are keeping his commandments and practice the things which are pleasing in his sight.
3:23 And this is his commandment, that* we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and should love* one another, just-as he gave commandment to us.
3:24 And he who is keeping his commandments abides in him and he in him. And we know by this that he abides in us, from the Spirit whom he gave us.
{1Jn 3:17- Greek: bowels.}