1 John 3–5

3Behold, ^awhat manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that ^bwe should be called ^cthe sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because ^dit knew him not. ²Beloved, ^enow are we ^cthe sons of God, and ^fit doth not yet appear what we shall be: but ^gwe know that, ^hwhen he shall appear, ⁱwe shall be like him; for ^kwe shall ^lsee him as he is. ³And every man ^mthat hath this hope in him ⁿpurifieth himself, ^oeven as he is pure. ⁴Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for ^psin is the transgression of the law. ⁵And ye know that ^qrhe was manifested ^rsto take away our sins; and ^tin him is no sin. ⁶Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth ^uhath not seen him, ^vneither known him. ⁷Little children, ^wlet no man deceive you: ^xhe that doeth righteousness is righteous, ^oeven as he is righteous. ^8yHe that committeth sin is of the devil; for ^zthe devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^athat he might ^bdestroy the works of the devil. ^9cWhosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for ^dhis seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because ^ehe is born of God. ¹⁰In this ^fthe children of God are manifest, and ^gthe children of the devil: ^hwhosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither ⁱhe that loveth not his brother. ¹¹For ^kthis is the ^||message ^lthat ye heard from the beginning, ^mthat we should love one another. ¹²Not as ⁿCain, who was of ^othat wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? ^pBecause his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ¹³Marvel not, my brethren, if ^qthe world hate you. ^14rWe know that ^swe have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ^15tWhosoever hateth his brother is ^ua murderer: and ye know that ^vno murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. ^16wxHereby perceive we the love of God, because ^xhe laid down his life for us: and ^ywe ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But ^zwhoso hath this world’s ^agood, and seeth his brother have need, and ^bshutteth up ^chis bowels of compassion from him, ^dhow dwelleth the love of God in him? ¹⁸My little children, ^elet us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and ^eein truth. ¹⁹And hereby we know that we are ^fof the truth, and ^gshall ^†assure our hearts before him. ²⁰For ^hif our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ²¹Beloved, ⁱif our heart condemn us not, then ^jhave we confidence ^ktoward God. ²²And ^lwhatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we ^mkeep his commandments, and do ⁿthose things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³And this is his commandment, ^oThat we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and ^plove one another, ^qas he gave us commandment. ²⁴And he that ^mkeepeth his commandments ^rdwelleth in him, and ^rshe in him. And ^thereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

4Beloved, ^abelieve not every spirit, but ^btry ^cthe spirits whether they are of God: because ^dmany ^efalse prophets are gone out into the world. ²Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: ^fEvery spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ ^gis come in the flesh is of God: ³And every spirit ^hthat confesseth not that Jesus Christ ^gis come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of ⁱantichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even ^jnow already is it in the world. ^4kYe are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because ^lgreater is he that is in you, than ^mhe that is in the world. ⁵ⁿThey are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and ^othe world heareth them. ⁶We are of God: ^phe that knoweth God heareth us; ^phe that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we ^qthe spirit of truth, and ^qqthe spirit of error. ⁷Beloved, ^rlet us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. ^8sHe that loveth not ^tknoweth not God; for ^uGod is love. ^9vIn this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that ^wGod sent his only begotten Son into the world, ^xthat we might live through him. ¹⁰Herein is love, ^ynot that we loved God, but ^zthat he loved us, and sent his Son to be ^athe propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, ^bwe ought also to love one another. ^12cNo man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, ^dGod dwelleth in us, and ^ehis love is perfected in us. ^13fHereby know we that ^gwe ^ddwell in him, and he in us, ^gbecause he hath given us of his Spirit.

¹⁴And ^hwe have seen and ⁱdo testify that ^jthe Father sent the Son to be ^kthe Saviour of the world. ^15lWhosoever shall confess ^mthat Jesus is the Son of God, ^dGod dwelleth in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed ⁿthe love that God hath to us. ^oGod is love; and he that dwelleth in love ^ddwelleth in God, and God in him. ^17eHerein is ^†our love made perfect, that ^pwe may have boldness ^qin the day of judgment: because ^ras he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but ^sperfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth ^eis not made perfect in love. ^19tWe love him, because he first loved us. ^20uIf a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, ^whe is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God ^cxwhom he hath not seen? ²¹And ^ythis commandment have we from him, ^zThat he who loveth God love his brother also.

5Whosoever ^abelieveth that ^bJesus is the Christ is ^cborn of God: and ^devery one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. ²By this we know that we love ^ethe children of God, when we love God, and ^fkeep his commandments. ³For ^gthis is the love of God, that we ^fkeep his commandments: and ^hhis commandments are not grievous. ⁴For whatsoever is born of God ⁱovercometh the world: and ^jthis is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is he that ⁱovercometh the world, but ^jhe that believeth ^kthat Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶This is he that came ^lby water and ^lblood, even Jesus Christ; not ^mby water only, but by water and blood. And ⁿit is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. ⁷For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. ⁸And there are three that bear witness in earth, ^othe spirit, and ^lthe water, and ^lthe blood: and these three agree in one. ^9pIf we receive the witness of men, ^qthe witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God ^rwhich he hath testified of his Son. ¹⁰He that believeth on the Son of God ^shath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God ^thath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. ¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us ^ueternal life, and ^vthis life is in his Son. ^12wHe that ^xhath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

^13yThese things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have ^ueternal life, and that ye may ^zbelieve on the name of the Son of God. ¹⁴And this is the ^aconfidence that we have ^||in him, that, ^bif we ask any thing ^caccording to his will, he heareth us: ¹⁵And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, ^dwe know that ^bwe have the petitions that we desired of him. ¹⁶If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and ^ehe shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. ^fThere is a sin unto death: ^gI do not say that he shall pray for it. ¹⁷All ^hunrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. ¹⁸We know that ⁱwhosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God ^kkeepeth himself, and ^lthat wicked one toucheth him not. ¹⁹And we know that we are of God, and ^mthe whole world lieth in ^lwickedness. ²⁰And we know that the Son of God is come, and ⁿhath given us an understanding, that we may know ^ohim that is true, and we are in ^ohim that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. ^pThis is ^othe true God, and ^qeternal life. ²¹Little children, ^rkeep yourselves from idols. Amen.