What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched^(A)

1 That ^(B)which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have ^(C)seen with our eyes, ^(D)which we have looked upon, and ^(E)our hands have handled, concerning the ^(F)Word of life— ^2 (G)the life ^(H)was manifested, and we have seen, ^(I)and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was ^(J)with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is ^(K)with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you ^(L)that ^[a]your joy may be full.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

^5 (M)This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that ^(N)God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

⁸ He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ^9 (A)In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten ^(B)Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, ^(C)not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son ^(D)to be the propitiation for our sins.

³ And one cried to another and said:

^7 (A)keeping mercy for thousands, ^(B)forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, ^(C)by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”