1 John 4

New International Version

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,^(A) do not believe every spirit,^(B) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.^(C) ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh^(D) is from God,^(E) ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,^(F) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.^(G)

⁴You, dear children,^(H) are from God and have overcome them,^(I) because the one who is in you^(J) is greater than the one who is in the world.^(K) ⁵They are from the world^(L) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.^(M) This is how we recognize the Spirit^[a] of truth^(N) and the spirit of falsehood.^(O)

God’s Love and Ours

⁷Dear friends, let us love one another,^(P) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God^(Q) and knows God.^(R) ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^(S) ⁹This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(T) into the world that we might live through him.^(U) ¹⁰This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(V) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^(W) ¹¹Dear friends,^(X) since God so loved us,^(Y) we also ought to love one another.^(Z) ¹²No one has ever seen God;^(AA) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.^(AB)

¹³This is how we know^(AC) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.^(AD) ¹⁴And we have seen and testify^(AE) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.^(AF) ¹⁵If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,^(AG) God lives in them and they in God.^(AH) ¹⁶And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.^(AI) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.^(AJ) ¹⁷This is how love is made complete^(AK) among us so that we will have confidence^(AL) on the day of judgment:^(AM) In this world we are like Jesus. ¹⁸There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,^(AN) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

¹⁹We love because he first loved us.^(AO) ²⁰Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister^(AP) is a liar.^(AQ) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,^(AR) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^(AS) ²¹And he has given us this command:^(AT) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.^(AU)

Footnotes

1 John 4:6 Or spirit

Psalm 109

New International Version

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

¹My God, whom I praise,^(A)
    do not remain silent,^(B)
²for people who are wicked and deceitful^(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.^(D)
³With words of hatred^(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.^(F)
⁴In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.^(G)
⁵They repay me evil for good,^(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

⁶Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser^(I) stand at his right hand.
⁷When he is tried, let him be found guilty,^(J)
    and may his prayers condemn^(K) him.
⁸May his days be few;^(L)
    may another take his place^(M) of leadership.
⁹May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.^(N)
¹⁰May his children be wandering beggars;^(O)
    may they be driven^[a] from their ruined homes.
¹¹May a creditor^(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder^(Q) the fruits of his labor.^(R)
¹²May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity^(S) on his fatherless children.
¹³May his descendants be cut off,^(T)
    their names blotted out^(U) from the next generation.
¹⁴May the iniquity of his fathers^(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
¹⁵May their sins always remain before^(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name^(X) from the earth.

¹⁶For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy^(Y) and the brokenhearted.^(Z)
¹⁷He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.^(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
¹⁸He wore cursing^(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,^(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
¹⁹May it be like a cloak wrapped^(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
²⁰May this be the Lord’s payment^(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil^(AF) of me.

²¹But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;^(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,^(AH) deliver me.^(AI)
²²For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
²³I fade away like an evening shadow;^(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
²⁴My knees give^(AK) way from fasting;^(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.^(AM)
²⁵I am an object of scorn^(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.^(AO)

²⁶Help me,^(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
²⁷Let them know^(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
²⁸While they curse,^(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.^(AS)
²⁹May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame^(AT) as in a cloak.

³⁰With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
in the great throng^(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.
³¹For he stands at the right hand^(AV) of the needy,
to save their lives from those who would condemn them.