1 1 That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon, and our hands handled, concerning the word of life, 2 —and the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and announce to you the everlasting life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us,— 3 that which we have seen and heard we announce to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full. 5 And this is the message which we have heard from him, and announce to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; 7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
2 1 My children, these things I write to you, that ye may not sin. And if any one have sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 And he is a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. 3 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keepeth his word, truly in him is the love of God perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him. 6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. 7 Beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which ye have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him, and in you; because the darkness is passing away, and the true light now shineth. 9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in the darkness until now. 10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him; 11 but he that hateth his brother is in the darkness, and walketh in the darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes. 12 I write to you, my children, because your sins have been forgiven you for his name's sake. 13 I write to you, fathers, because ye know him that was from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the Evil One. I have written to you, my children, because ye know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because ye know him that was from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the Evil One. 15 Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loveth the world, the love of the Father is not in him; 16 because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust thereof; but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 18 My children, the last time is come; and as ye have heard that Antichrist is coming, even now there are many antichrists; whereby we know that the last time is come. 19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they are not all of us. 20 And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things. 21 I have not written to you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is the liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father; he that acknowledgeth the Son hath also the Father. 24 As for you, let that which ye have heard from the beginning abide in you. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall abide in you, ye also will abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25 And this is the promise which he himself promised us, even the life everlasting. 26 These things I have written to you concerning those who seduce you. 27 And the anointing which ye yourselves received from him abideth in you, and ye have no need that any one teach you; but as his anointing teacheth you concerning all things, and is truth, and is not a lie, even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. 28 And now, my children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness hath been born of him.
3 1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God l For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it hath not yet been manifested what we shall be. We know that, when it shall be manifested, we shall be like him; because we shall see him as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure. 4 Whoever committeth sin transgresseth thereby the law; for sin is a transgression of the law. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whoever abideth in him sinneth not; whoever sinneth hath not seen him, nor known him. 7 My children, let no one deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. 9 Whoever hath been born of God doth not commit sin, because his seed abideth in him; and he cannot sin, because he hath been born of God. 10 In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the Devil. Whoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, and he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain was of the Evil One, and slew his brother. And wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Wonder not, brethren, if the world hateth you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren; he that loveth not abideth in death. 15 Whoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath everlasting life abiding in him. 16 Herein we know love, in that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother having need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18 My children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him; 20 because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence toward God; 22 and whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, as he gave commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him; and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit, which he gave us.
4 1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2 Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledgeth that Jesus Christ hath come in the flesh, is of God. 3 And every spirit that doth not acknowledge Jesus, is not of God; and this is that spirit of Antichrist, of which ye have heard that it is to come, and even now it is already in the world. 4 Ye are of God, my children, and have overcome them; because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world; therefore they speak of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God; he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 7 Beloved, let us love one another; for love is from God, and every one that loveth hath been born of God, and knoweth God; 8 he that loveth not hath not known God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God in regard to us, that God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one hath ever seen God. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and bear witness, that the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whoever acknowledgeth that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath in regard to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein hath love been perfected with us, that we have confidence in the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment; and he that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love, because he first loved us. 20 If any one saith, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God, whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from him, that he who loveth God love also his brother.
5 1 Whoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ hath been born of God; and every one that loveth him that begat, loveth also him that hath been begotten of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and do his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome, 4 because whatever is born of God overcometh the world; and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood; and the Spirit is that which beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 8 For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God, that he hath borne witness concerning his Son. 10 He that believeth in the Son of God hath the witness within him; he that believeth not God hath made him a liar, because he hath not believed in the witness which God hath borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the witness, that God gave to us everlasting life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life. 13 These things have I written to you, that ye may know that ye who believe in the name of the Son of God have everlasting life. 14 And this is the confidence which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us; 15 and if we know that he heareth us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of him. 16 If any one see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and shall give him life,—to those who sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; for that I do not say that he shall pray. 17 All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that whoever hath been born of God sinneth not; but he that is born of God keepeth himself, and the Evil One toucheth him not. 19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth under the dominion of the Evil One. 20 And we know that the Son of God hath come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know the True One; and we are in the True One, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and everlasting life. 21 My children, keep yourselves from idols.