Beginning

1 That Which was from the beginning, Which we have heard, Which we have seen with our eyes, Which we have looked upon and these hands of ours have handled concerning the Word of Life

² (for that Life was revealed, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal Life Who was with the Father and was revealed to us);

³ that Which we have seen and heard we declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us and that our fellowship may also be with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.

⁴ And these things I write to you so that your joy may be full.

⁵ This, then, is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you: that God is light. And no darkness is in Him.

⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not truly.

⁷ But 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.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. And truth is not in us.

⁹ If we acknowledge our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make Him a liar. And His Word is not in us.

2 My little children, these things I write to you so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father: Jesus Christ, the Just.

² And He is the reconciliation for our sins; and not only for ours, but also for the whole world.

³ And by this we are sure that we know Him: if we keep His Commandments.

⁴ The one who says, “I know him,” and does not keep His Commandments, is a liar. And the truth is not in him.

⁵ But whoever keeps His Word, in him is the love of God accomplished. By this we know that we are in Him.

⁶ Whoever says that he remains in Him, ought still to walk as He has walked.

⁷ Brothers, I write no new commandment to you, but an old Commandment which you have had from the beginning. This old Commandment is that Word which you have heard from the beginning.

⁸ On the other hand, a new Commandment I do write to you (which is true in Him and also in you). For the darkness is passing, and the true Light now shines.

⁹ Whoever says that he is in the Light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.

¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother, abides in the Light. And there is no stumbling block in him.

¹¹ But whoever hates his brother, is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹² Little children, I write to you because your sins are forgiven for His Name’s sake.

¹³ I write to you, fathers, because you have known Him Who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.

¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him Who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

¹⁵ Love neither this world nor the things which are in this world. If anyone loves this world, the love of the Father is not in him.

¹⁶ For all that is in this world (the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life), is not of the Father, but is of this world.

¹⁷ And this world passes away, and the lust thereof. But whoever fulfills the will of God, abides forever.

¹⁸ Little children, it is the last hour. And just as you have heard that Antichrist shall come, so now there are many Antichrists (by which we know that it is the last hour).

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But this is so that all of those who were not of us are revealed.

²⁰ But you have an anointing from the Holy One and know all things.

²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it (and no lie comes from the truth).

²² Who is a liar, except the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.

²³ Whoever denies the Son, the same does not have the Father.

²⁴ Therefore, let that same which you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you shall also continue in the Son and in the Father.

²⁵ And this is the promise that He has promised us: eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who deceive you.

²⁷ But that anointing which you received from Him dwells in you. And you do not need anyone to teach you. But as that same anointing teaches you of all things - and it is true, and not lying, and as it is taught to you - you shall abide in Him.

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him. So that when He shall appear, we may be bold and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

²⁹ If you know that He is righteous, you know that whoever does righteously is born of Him.

3 Behold, what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the sons of God! For this reason, this world does not know you: because it does not know Him.

² Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be is yet to be revealed. And we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is.

³ And everyone who has this hope in Him purges himself, just as He is pure.

⁴ Whoever commits sin, also transgresses the Law. For sin is the transgression of the Law.

⁵ And you know that He was revealed so that He might take away our sins. And no sin is in Him.

⁶ Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous (as He is righteous).

⁸ Whoever commits sin is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: that He might destroy the works of the devil.

⁹ Whoever is born of God does not sin. For His seed remains in him. Nor can he sin, because he is born of God.

¹⁰ In this are the children of God and the children of the devil known. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

¹¹ For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another;

¹² not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil and his brother’s good.

¹³ Do not marvel, my brothers, though this world hates you.

¹⁴ We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers. The one who does not love his brother remains in death.

¹⁵ Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

¹⁶ By this we have perceived love: that He laid down His life for us. Therefore, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

¹⁷ And whoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother has need and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?

¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth.

¹⁹ For by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him.

²⁰ For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.

²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have boldness toward God.

²² And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His Commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight.

²³ This, then, is His Commandment: that we believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded.

²⁴ For the one who keeps His Commandments dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us: by that Spirit which He has given us.

4 Dearly beloved, do not believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they are of God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.

² By this you shall know the Spirit of God: Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God.

³ And every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is not of God. But this is the spirit of Antichrist, of whom you have heard; how that he would come and is now already in this world.

⁴ Little children, you are of God; and have overcome them! For greater is He Who is in you than he who is in this world.

⁵ They are of this world. Therefore, they speak of this world. And this world hears them.

⁶ We are of God. The one who knows God hears us. The one who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another. For love comes from God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

⁸ The one who does not love does not know God. For God is love.

⁹ In this was that love of God revealed amongst us: because God sent His only begotten Son into this world, so that we might live through Him.

¹⁰ In this is that love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be a reconciliation for our sins.

¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us. And His love is perfected in us.

¹³ By this we know that we dwell in Him, and He in us: because He has given us of His Spirit.

¹⁴ And we have seen (and do testify) that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God - God dwells in him and he in God.

¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has in us. God is love. And the one who dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him.

¹⁷ In this is that love perfected in us: that we should have boldness on the Day of Judgment. For as He is, even so are we in this world.

¹⁸ There is no fear in love. But perfect love casts out fear. For fear has painfulness. And the one who fears has not been perfected in love.

¹⁹ We love Him because He loved us first.

²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For how can one who does not love his brother - whom he has seen - love God, Whom he has not seen?

²¹ And this Commandment we have from Him: that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

5 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And everyone who loves Him Who begat, also loves him who is begotten of Him.

² In this we know 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 burdensome.

⁴ For all that is born of God overcomes this world. And this is that victory that has overcome this world: our faith.

⁵ Who is it that overcomes this world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

⁶ This is that Jesus Christ Who came by water and blood - not by water only, but by water and blood - and it is that Spirit that bears witness. For that Spirit is Truth.

⁷ For there are Three Who bear record in Heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these Three are One.

⁸ And there are Three Who bear record on the Earth: the Spirit and the Water and the Blood. And these Three agree in One.

⁹ If we receive the witness of man, the witness of God is greater. For this is the witness of God which He testified about His Son:

¹⁰ The one who believes in that Son of God, has the witness in himself. The one who does not believe God, has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the record that God witnessed of His Son.

¹¹ And this is that record: that God has given us eternal life. And this life is in His Son.

¹² The one who has that Son, has that life. And the one who does not have that Son of God, does not have that life.

¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life (and that you may believe in the Name of the Son of God).

¹⁴ And this is that assurance that we have in Him: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

¹⁵ And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have the petitions that we have desired from Him.

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sin a sin that does not lead to death, let him ask, and He shall give him life for those whose sin does not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death. I do not say that you should pray for that.

¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin. But there is sin that does not lead to death.

¹⁸ We know that whoever is born of God does not sin. But the one who is begotten of God guards himself. And the wicked one does not touch him.

¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and this whole world lies in wickedness.

²⁰ But we know that the Son of God has come and has given us a mind to know Him Who is true. And we are in Him Who is true; in His Son Jesus Christ. The same is that very God and that Eternal Life.

²¹ Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.