1 John 3:18

NETBible

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. 1 

NIV ©

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

NASB ©

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

NLT ©

Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions.

MSG ©

My dear children, let's not just talk about love; let's practice real love.

BBE ©

My little children, do not let our love be in word and in tongue, but let it be in act and in good faith.

NRSV ©

Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.

NKJV ©

My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

KJV
My
<3450>
little children
<5040>_,
let us
<25> (0)
not
<3361>
love
<25> (5725)
in word
<3056>_,
neither
<3366>
in tongue
<1100>_;
but
<235>
in deed
<2041>
and
<2532>
in truth
<225>_.
NASB ©
Little
<5040>
children
<5040>
, let us not love
<25>
with word
<3056>
or
<3366>
with tongue
<1100>
, but in deed
<2041>
and truth
<225>
.
NET [draft] ITL
Little children
<5040>
, let us
<25>
not
<3361>
love
<25>
with word
<3056>
or
<3366>
with tongue
<1100>
but
<235>
in
<1722>
deed
<2041>
and
<2532>
truth
<225>
.
GREEK
teknia
<5040>
N-VPN
mh
<3361>
PRT-N
agapwmen
<25> (5725)
V-PAS-1P
logw
<3056>
N-DSM
mhde
<3366>
CONJ
th
<3588>
T-DSF
glwssh
<1100>
N-DSF
alla
<235>
CONJ
en
<1722>
PREP
ergw
<2041>
N-DSN
kai
<2532>
CONJ
alhyeia
<225>
N-DSF
NETBible

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. 1 

NET Notes

1 sn The noun truth here has been interpreted in various ways: (1) There are a number of interpreters who understand the final noun in this series, truth (ἀληθείᾳ, alhqeia) in an adverbial sense (“truly” or “in sincerity”), describing the way in which believers are to love. If the two pairs of nouns are compared, however, it is hard to see how the second noun with tongue (γλώσσῃ, glwssh) in the first pair can have an adverbial sense. (2) It seems better to understand the first noun in each pair as produced by the second noun: Words are produced by the tongue, and the (righteous) deeds with which believers are to love one another are produced by the truth.