Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him.

2 Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.

3 And every one that hath this hope in him sanctifieth himself, as he also is holy.

4 Whosoever committeth sin committeth also iniquity. And sin is iniquity.

5 And you know that he appeared to take away our sins: and in him there is no sin.

6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: and whosoever sinneth hath not seen him nor known him.

7 Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is just, even as he is just.

8 He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whosoever is born of God committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him. And he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just is not of God, or he that loveth not his brother.

11 For this is the declaration which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another.

12 Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And wherefore did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked: and his brother’s just.

13 Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you.

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.

15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself.

16 In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 He that hath the substance of this world and shall see his brother in need and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him?

18 My little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

19 In this we know that we are of the truth and in his sight shall persuade our hearts.

20 For if our heart reprehend us, God is greater than our heart and knoweth all things.

21 Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God.

22 And whatsoever we shall ask, we shall receive of him: because we keep his commandments and do those things which are pleasing in his sight.

23 And this is his commandment: That we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as he hath given commandment unto us.

24 And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us.

Chapter 4

Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

2 By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:

3 And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus is not of God. And this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh: and he is now already in the world.

4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome him. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

5 They are of the world. Therefore of the world they speak: 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. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.

8 He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is charity.

9 By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him.

10 In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

11 My dearest, if God hath so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us: and his charity is perfected in us.

13 In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.

16 And we have known and have believed the charity which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him.

17 In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world.

18 Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath sin. And he that feareth is not perfected in charity.

19 Let us therefore love God: because God first hath loved us.

20 If any man say: I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not?

21 And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother.

Chapter 5

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him.

2 In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commandments.

3 For this is the charity of God: That we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy.

4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcameth the world: 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 that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ is the truth.

7 And there are Three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.

8 And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit and the water and the blood. And these three are one.

9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son.

10 He that believeth in the Son of God hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.

11 And this is the testimony that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life.

13 These things I write to you that you may know that you have eternal life: you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That, whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us.

15 And we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask: we know that we have the petitions which we request of him.

16 He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask: and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death. For that I say not that any man ask.

17 All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death.

18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not.

19 We know that we are of God and the whole world is seated in wickedness.

20 And we know that the Son of God is come. And he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.