1 John 4-5
Darby Translation
4 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, if they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses Jesus Christ come in flesh is of God;
3 and every spirit which does not confess Jesus Christ come in flesh is not of God: and this is that [power] of the antichrist, [of] which ye have heard that it comes, and now it is already in the world.
4 *Ye* are of God, children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that [is] in you than he that [is] in the world.
5 *They* are of the world; for this reason they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.
6 *We* are of God; he that knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of God, and every one that loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.
8 He that loves not has not known God; for God is love.
9 Herein as to us has been manifested the love of God, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time: if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, that he has given to us of his Spirit.
14 And *we* have seen, and testify, that the Father has sent the Son [as] Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 And *we* have known and have believed the love which God has to us. God is love, and he that abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17 Herein has love been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that even as *he* is, *we* also are in this world.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment, and he that fears has not been made perfect in love.
19 *We* love because *he* has first loved us.
20 If any one say, I love God, and hate 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?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he that loves God love also his brother.
5 Every one that believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God; and every one that loves him that has begotten loves also him that is begotten of him.
2 Hereby know we that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous.
4 For all that has been begotten of God gets the victory over the world; and this is the victory which has gotten the victory over the world, our faith.
5 Who is he that gets the victory over the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus [the] Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, for the Spirit is the truth.
7 For they that bear witness are three:
8 the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three agree in one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God [which] he has witnessed concerning his Son.
10 He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself; he that does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness which God has witnessed concerning his Son.
11 And this is the witness, that God has given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son.
12 He that has the Son has life: he that has not the Son of God has not life.
13 These things have I written to you that ye may know that ye have eternal life who believe on the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the boldness which we have towards him, that if we ask him anything according to his will he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
16 If any one see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life, for those that do not sin unto death. There is a sin to death: I do not say of that that he should make a request.
17 Every unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not to death.
18 We know that every one begotten of God does not sin, but he that has been begotten of God keeps himself, and the wicked [one] does not touch him.
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the wicked [one].
20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding that we should know him that [is] true; and we are in him that [is] true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 John 4-5
English Standard Version
Test the Spirits
4 Beloved, (A)do not believe every spirit, but (B)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for (C)many (D)false prophets (E)have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: (F)every spirit that confesses that (G)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit (H)that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and (I)now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for (J)he who is in you is greater than (K)he who is in the world. 5 (L)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and (M)the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. (N)Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know (O)the Spirit of truth and (P)the spirit of error.
God Is Love
7 Beloved, (Q)let us love one another, for love is from God, and (R)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 (S)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because (T)God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that (U)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, (V)not that we have loved God (W)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be (X)the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 (Y)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and (Z)his love is perfected in us.
13 (AA)By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And (AB)we have seen and testify that (AC)the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of (AD)the world. 15 (AE)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So (AF)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. (AG)God is love, and (AH)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this (AI)is love perfected with us, so that (AJ)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because (AK)as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (AL)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not (AM)been perfected in love. 19 (AN)We love because he first loved us. 20 (AO)If anyone says, “I love God,” and (AP)hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God (AQ)whom he has not seen. 21 And (AR)this commandment we have from him: (AS)whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Overcoming the World
5 (AT)Everyone who believes that (AU)Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and (AV)everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 (AW)By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For (AX)this is the love of God, that we (AY)keep his commandments. And (AZ)his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For (BA)everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—(BB)our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes (BC)that Jesus is the Son of God?
Testimony Concerning the Son of God
6 This is he who came (BD)by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And (BE)the Spirit is the one who testifies, because (BF)the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 (BG)If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God (BH)that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God (BI)has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God (BJ)has made him a liar, (BK)because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us (BL)eternal life, and (BM)this life is in his Son. 12 (BN)Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
That You May Know
13 I write (BO)these things to you who (BP)believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is (BQ)the confidence that we have toward him, that (BR)if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.
16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and (BS)God[b] will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. (BT)There is sin that leads to death; (BU)I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 (BV)All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
18 We know that (BW)everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but (BX)he who was born of God (BY)protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
19 We know that we are from God, and (BZ)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and (CA)has given us understanding, so that we may know (CB)him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and (CC)eternal life. 21 Little children, (CD)keep yourselves from idols.
Footnotes
- 1 John 4:20 Some manuscripts how can he
- 1 John 5:16 Greek he
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The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
