I.  

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, and bear witness, and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;) 3that which we have seen and have heard we report to you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full.

5And this is the message which we have heard from him, and announce to you, That God is light, and in him there is no darkness.

6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; 7but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

8If we say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, that he may forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

II.  

My little 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. 2And he is a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.

3And in this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoever keeps his word, of a truth in him the love of God is perfected. In this we know that we are in him. 6He that says he abides in him ought, as he walked, himself also so to walk.

7Beloved, I write not to you a new commandment, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye heard from the beginning. 8Again, 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 shines. 9He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now. 10He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. 11But he that hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness blinded his eyes.

12I write to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for his name's sake. 13I 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 wrote to you, little children, because ye know the Father. 14I wrote to you, fathers, because ye know him that was from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.

15Love not the world, neither the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16Because all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the empty pomp of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world is passing away, and the lust thereof; but he that does the will of God abides forever.

18Little children, it is the last time; and as ye heard that antichrist should come, even now many antichrists have arisen; from whence we know that it is the last time. 19They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but it was in order that they might be made manifest, that all are not of us.

20And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things. 21I wrote not to you because ye do not know the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth. 22Who is the liar, but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. 23Every one that denies the Son, the same has not the Father; he that acknowledges the Son has also the Father.

24What ye heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If what ye heard from the beginning shall abide in you, ye also will abide in the Son, and in the Father. 25And this is the promise which he himself promised to us, the life eternal.

26These things I wrote to you concerning those who seduce you. 27And the anointing which ye received from him abides in you, and ye have no need that any one teach you; but, as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is not a lie, and even as it taught you, abide in him.

28And now, little children, abide in him; that, if he should be manifested, we may have confidence, and not turn away from him with shame at his coming. 29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that does righteousness has been begotten of him.

III.  

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. For this cause the world knows not us, because it knew not him. 2Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it was never yet manifested what we shall be. We know that if it shall be manifested, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3And every one, that has this hope on him, purifies himself even as he is pure. 4Every one that commits sin also commits transgression of law; and sin is transgression of law. 5And ye know that he was manifested that he might take away our sins; and in him is no sin. 6Every one that abides in him sins not; whoever sins has not seen him, neither has known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. He that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. 8He that commits sin is of the Devil; because the Devil sins from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. 9Whoever has been begotten of God does not commit sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten of God. 10In this are manifest the children of God, and the children of the Devil. Every one that does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother; 11because this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another 12Not 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. 13Wonder not, brethren, if the world hates you.

14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death. 15Every one that hates his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16In this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has the world's sustenance, and sees his brother having need, and shuts up his pity from him, how abides the love of God in him?

18Little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19And in this we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20Because if our heart accuse us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our heart accuse us not, we have confidence toward God. 22And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit which he gave us.

IV.  

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. 2In this ye know the Spirit of God: 3Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God; and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not of God; and this is that of the antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come; and now, it is already in the world.

4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world. 5They are of the world; for this cause they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6We are of God; he that knows God, hears us; he that is not of God, hears us not. From this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

7Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God. 8He that loves not, knew not God; because God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God in respect to us, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, a propitiation for our sins.

11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No man has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and the love of him is perfected in us. 13In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen, and bear witness, that the Father has sent forth the Son, a Savior of the world. 15Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we have known, and have believed, the love that God has in respect to us. God is love; and he that abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

17In this has love been perfected with us, that we have confidence in the day of judgment; because as he is, we also are in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment; and he that fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love, because he first loved us. 20If any one say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God love also his brother.

V.  

Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God; and every one that loves him who begot, loves also him that has been begotten of him. 2In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and do his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome; 4because all that is begotten of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. 5Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus the Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood. And the Spirit is that which bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three who bear witness; the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; 8and the three agree in the one. 9If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God, that he has borne witness concerning his Son. 10He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself; he that believes not God has made him a liar; because he has not believed in the witness which God has borne concerning his Son. 11And this is the witness, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He that has the Son has the life; he that has not the Son of God has not the life.

13These things I wrote to you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, who believe on the name of the Son of God.

14And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

16If any one see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he will 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.

17All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death.

18We know that every one who has been begotten of God sins not; but he that was begotten of God keeps himself; and the evil one touches him not.

19We know that we are of God, and the whole world is lying in the evil one. 20And we know that the Son of God is come, and has 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 eternal life.

21Little children, keep yourselves from the idols.