1 John 4

1 BELOVED, believe not every pretender to inspiration, but bring these spirits to the trial whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone forth into the world.

Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 By this ye know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesseth that Jesus the Messiah is come in the flesh, is from God.

This is how you know God’s Spirit: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

3 And every spirit who confesseth not that Jesus the Messiah is come into the world, is not from God: and this is that spirit of antichrist which ye have heard that it is coming, and now is already in the world.

Every spirit that fails to acknowledge Jesus isn’t from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.

4 Ye are of God, my dear children, and have overcome them; because he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.

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

5 They are of the world, therefore speak they as of the world, and the world heareth them.

They are from the world, therefore they talk like they are from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of delusion.

We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us. Whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, let us love one another; because love is from God, and every one who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Beloved, let us sincerely love one another, for sincere love is from God, and everyone who sincerely loves is born of God and knows God.

8 He that loveth not, never knew God; for God is love.

The one who doesn’t sincerely love doesn’t know God, for God is sincere love.

9 By this was the love of God manifested to us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might have life by him.

The sincere love of God was manifested in us by this, that God has sent His only born Son into the world so that we might live through Him.

10 Herein is love, not that we have loved God, but that he hath loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.

In this is sincere love: not that we sincerely loved God, but that He sincerely loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

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

Beloved, if God sincerely loved us like this, we ought to sincerely love one another, too.

12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

No one has ever seen God, but if we sincerely love one another, God lives in us and His sincere love is made complete in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his own Spirit.

This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

14 And we have seen and bear testimony, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

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

God lives in whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, and that person lives in God.

16 And we have known and believed the love which God hath towards us. God is love; and he that abideth in love, abideth in God, and God in him.

We have come to know and have believed the sincere love which God has for us. God is sincere love. One who lives in sincere love lives in God, and God lives in him.

17 By this is his love towards us perfected, that we might have confidence at the day of judgment; because as he is, so are we in this world.

Sincere love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have confident boldness on the judgment day, because as He is, so are we in this world.

18 Fear is not in this love; but the perfect love casteth out fear: for fear hath anguish. He that is afraid is not made perfect in love.

There is no fear in sincere love, but perfect, sincere love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment. But whoever fears has not been made perfect in sincere love.

19 We love him, because he first loved us.

We sincerely love, because He first sincerely loved us.

20 If any person say, I love God, yet hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he who loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love the God whom he hath not seen?

If someone says, “I sincerely love God,” and hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. If someone doesn’t sincerely love a brother or sister he has seen, how can he sincerely love God whom he hasn’t seen?

21 So this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love also his brother.

This commandment we have from Him: that whoever sincerely loves God must sincerely love his brothers and sisters, too.