1 John 1:9

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἐὰν ὁμολογῶμεν τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν, πιστός ἐστιν καὶ δίκαιος ἵνα ἀφῇ ἡμῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ καθαρίσῃ ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀδικίας.

Transliteration

If we homologōmen the hamartias of us, pistos estin and dikaios hina he might aphē to us the hamartias, and might katharisē us from all adikias.

Grammar Details

• *homologōmen*: present subjunctive, 1st plural, active - we might confess/acknowledge [potential ongoing action]
• *hamartias*: accusative, feminine, plural - sins [direct object]
• *pistos*: nominative, masculine, singular - faithful/trustworthy
• *estin*: present, 3rd singular - is [ongoing state]
• *dikaios*: nominative, masculine, singular - righteous/just
• *hina*: conjunction introducing purpose clause - so that/in order that
• *aphē*: aorist subjunctive, 3rd singular, active - might forgive/release [potential action]
• *katharisē*: aorist subjunctive, 3rd singular, active - might cleanse/purify [potential action]
• *adikias*: genitive, feminine, singular - unrighteousness/wrongdoing

Word Meanings

• *homologōmen*: confess/acknowledge/agree/admit
• *hamartias*: sins/wrongdoings/errors/failures
• *pistos*: faithful/trustworthy/reliable/believable
• *estin*: is/exists/remains
• *dikaios*: righteous/just/fair/right
• *hina*: so that/in order that/with the purpose that
• *aphē*: forgive/release/let go/remit
• *katharisē*: cleanse/purify/make clean
• *adikias*: unrighteousness/injustice/wrongdoing/wickedness

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  If{G1437} we confess{G3670} our{G2257} sins,{G266} he is{G2076} faithful{G4103} and{G2532} righteous{G1342} to{G2443} forgive{G863} us{G2254} our sins,{G266} and{G2532} to cleanse{G2511} us{G2248} from{G575} all{G3956} unrighteousness.{G93}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  If{G1437} we confess{G3670}{(G5725)} our{G2257} sins{G266}, he is{G2076}{(G5748)} faithful{G4103} and{G2532} just{G1342} to{G2443} forgive{G863}{(G5632)} us{G2254} our sins{G266}, and{G2532} to cleanse{G2511}{(G5661)} us{G2248} from{G575} all{G3956} unrighteousness{G93}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Yf we knowledge oure synnes he is faythfull and iust to forgeve vs oure synnes and to clense vs from all vnrightewesnes.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  But yf we knowlege oure synnes, he is faithfull and iust to forgeue vs oure synnes, & to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  If we acknowledge our sinnes, he is faithfull and iust, to forgiue vs our sinnes, & to clense vs from all vnrighteousnes.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  If we knowledge our sinnes, he is faythfull & iust to forgeue vs our sinnes, and to clense vs from all vnryghteousnesse.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil.

• World English Bible (2000)

  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Referenced Verses

• Ps 32:5 : 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,' and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
• Prov 28:13 : 13 The one who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.
• Ps 51:2-5 : 2 When Nathan the prophet came to him after David had gone to Bathsheba. 3 Be gracious to me, O God, according to your lovingkindness; according to the abundance of your compassion, blot out my transgressions. 4 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 5 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
• 1 John 1:7 : 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.
• Jer 33:8 : 8 I will cleanse them from all the iniquity they have committed against me and forgive all their iniquities of sin and rebellion against me.
• Job 33:27-28 : 27 They sing before others and say, 'I have sinned and perverted what was right, but it was not repaid to me.' 28 He redeemed my soul from going down to the pit, and my life will see the light.
• Heb 10:23 : 23 Let us hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
• Titus 2:14 : 14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify a people for His own possession, who are eager to do good works.
• Ezek 37:23 : 23 They will no longer defile themselves with their idols, their vile images, or any of their transgressions. I will save them from all the places where they have sinned, and I will purify them. They will be My people, and I will be their God.
• Lam 3:23 : 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
• Ezek 36:25 : 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
• Isa 45:21 : 21 Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago? Who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.
• Deut 7:9 : 9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of steadfast love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
• 1 Tim 1:15 : 15 This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the foremost.
• Rom 3:26 : 26 He did this to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
• 1 Cor 1:9 : 9 God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Acts 19:18 : 18 Many who had believed came confessing and disclosing their practices.
• 1 Kgs 8:47 : 47 and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly';
• 2 Chr 6:37-38 : 37 and they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, and we have acted wickedly.' 38 And when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and they pray toward the land You gave to their ancestors, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your name,
• Neh 1:6 : 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you.
• Neh 9:2-9 : 2 The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, stood, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their ancestors. 3 They stood in their places and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and for another quarter, they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God. 4 Standing on the platform of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and they cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said: Stand up and bless the LORD your God who is from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be Your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. 6 You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all their hosts, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. 7 You are the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before You, and You made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites to his descendants. And You have kept Your promise because You are righteous. 9 You saw the oppression of our ancestors in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea. 10 You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew how arrogantly they treated them. And You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day. 11 You divided the sea before them, and they passed through it on dry ground. But You cast their pursuers into the depths like a stone into mighty waters. 12 By day, You led them with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light for the path they should follow. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them upright judgments, true laws, good statutes, and commandments. 14 You made Your holy Sabbath known to them, and You gave them commandments, statutes, and laws through Your servant Moses. 15 You provided bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water out of a rock for their thirst. You told them to go in and take possession of the land You had sworn to give them. 16 But they, our ancestors, acted arrogantly. They stiffened their necks and did not obey Your commandments. 17 They refused to listen and did not remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in faithful love, and You did not abandon them. 18 Even when they made a molten calf for themselves and said, 'This is your god who brought you out of Egypt,' and they committed terrible blasphemies, 19 You, in Your great mercy, did not abandon them in the wilderness. During the day, the pillar of cloud did not depart to guide them on their way, nor did the pillar of fire by night to give them light for the path they should take. 20 You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold manna from their mouths, and You provided water for their thirst. 21 For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell. 22 You gave them kingdoms and nations, dividing them into regions. They took possession of the land of Sihon, the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had promised their ancestors they would enter and take possession of. 24 Their descendants went in and took possession of the land. You subdued the inhabitants of the land—the Canaanites—before them and handed their kings and the peoples of the land over to them, to do with as they desired. 25 They captured fortified cities and fertile land. They took possession of houses filled with every good thing, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were satisfied, grew fat, and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. 26 But they were disobedient and rebelled against You. They cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them to turn back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies. 27 So You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. But in their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your great mercy, You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies. 28 But as soon as they had rest, they returned to doing evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to their enemies, who ruled over them. Yet when they again cried out to You, You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your abundant mercy. 29 You warned them to return to Your law, but they acted arrogantly and did not obey Your commandments. They sinned against Your judgments, which, if a person does, they will live by them. Stubbornly, they turned their backs, stiffened their necks, and would not listen. 30 For many years, You were patient with them. You warned them by Your Spirit through Your prophets, yet they would not listen. So You gave them into the hands of the peoples of the lands. 31 Still, in Your great mercies, You did not utterly destroy them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and merciful God. 32 Now therefore, our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God who keeps His covenant and steadfast love, do not let the hardship that has come upon us—on our kings, leaders, priests, prophets, ancestors, and on all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today—seem insignificant to You. 33 You are righteous in all that has happened to us, because You have acted faithfully while we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey Your law or pay attention to Your commandments and warnings You gave them. 35 Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying Your abundant goodness and the spacious, fertile land You gave them, they did not serve You or turn from their evil deeds. 36 Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave to our ancestors so they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness—here we are, slaves in it! 37 Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress.
• Lev 26:40-42 : 40 But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness with which they were unfaithful to me, and also how they walked contrary to me— 41 so that I also walked contrary to them and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their punishment for their iniquity, 42 then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land.
• Dan 9:4-9 : 4 I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: 'O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from Your commandments and judgments. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and to all the people of the land. 7 Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but shame covers our faces today—to the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where You have driven them because of their unfaithfulness to You. 8 O LORD, shame covers us—our kings, our rulers, and our ancestors—because we have sinned against You. 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God by following His instructions, which He gave us through His servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey Your voice. So the curse and oath written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us because we have sinned against Him. 12 He has carried out His words that He spoke against us and our rulers who governed us, bringing on us a great disaster. Nothing like it has ever been done under the entire heaven as what has been done in Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and gaining insight into Your truth. 14 Therefore, the LORD has kept the disaster in store and brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything He does, yet we have not obeyed His voice. 15 Now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made a name for Yourself that endures to this day, we have sinned and acted wickedly. 16 O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, let Your anger and wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain. For because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and Your people have become an object of scorn to all those around us. 17 Now, our God, hear the prayer and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. 18 Incline Your ear, my God, and hear. Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears Your name. For we are not presenting our pleas before You on account of our righteousness, but because of Your great mercy. 19 Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay attention and act! Do not delay, for Your own sake, my God, because Your city and Your people bear Your name. 20 While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning the holy mountain of my God,
• Zech 9:9 : 9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout aloud, Daughter Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
• Mark 1:5 : 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem came out to him. They were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
• Heb 6:10 : 10 For God is not unjust to forget your work and the love you have shown for His name, having served and continuing to serve the saints.
• 1 Cor 6:11 : 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
• Eph 5:26 : 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing of water through the word,
• Heb 11:11 : 11 By faith Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.