1 John 4

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, if they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have 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;

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

and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.

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.

You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

5 They are of the world; for this reason they speak [as] of the world, and the world hears them.

They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to 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.

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

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.

Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

8 He that loves not has not known God; for God is love.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because 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.

This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so 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.

And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

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

Beloved, if God 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.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains 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.

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

14 And we have seen, and testify, that the Father has sent the Son [as] Saviour of the world.

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

If anyone confesses 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.

And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever 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.

In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.

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.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.

19 We love because he has first loved us.

We love because He 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?

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.

21 And this commandment have we from him, That he that loves God love also his brother.

And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.