1 John 4

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

Beloved, do not believe every spirit. Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 In this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ having come in the flesh, it is of God,

By this you will know the Spirit of God—every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ having come in the flesh, it is not of God; and this is that of the antichrist, which you heard that it comes, and now it is already in the world.

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

4 You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them; because greater is He who [is] in you, than he who is in the world.

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

5 They are of the world, because they speak of this from the world, and the world hears them;

They are from the world; therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them.

6 we are of God; he who is knowing 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. Anyone who knows God listens to us. He who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7 Beloved, may we love one another, because love is of God, and everyone loving has been begotten of God, and knows God;

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

8 he who is not loving did not know God, because God is love.

The person who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9 In this was revealed the love of God in us, because God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we may live through Him;

Because of this the love of God was revealed among us, that God has sent his only Son into the world so that we would live because of him.

10 in this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son [as] the propitiation for our sins.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and that he sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

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

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also should love one another.

12 no one has ever seen God; if we may love one another, God remains in us, and His love is having been perfected in us;

No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is perfected in us.

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

By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us some of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son [as] Savior of the world;

Also, we have seen and have borne witness that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God;

Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.

16 and we have known and believed the love that God has in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in love, remains in God, and God in him.

Also, we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in this love remains in God, and God remains in him.

17 In this, love has been perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because even as He is, we also are in this world.

Because of this, this love has been made perfect among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because as he is, just so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and he who is fearing has not been made perfect in love;

There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love throws out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. But the one who fears has not been made perfect in love.

19 we love Him, because He first loved us;

We love because God first loved us.

20 if anyone may say, “I love God,” and may hate his brother, he is a liar; for he who is not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love God whom he has not seen?

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

21 And this [is] the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.

Also, this is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his own brother.