King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
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Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
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By this you 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 confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
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and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming, and now it is in the world already.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
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Little children, you are of God, and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
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They are of the world, therefore what they say is of 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 not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
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We are of God. Whoever knows God listens to us, and he who is not of 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: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
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Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
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He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
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In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his 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 to be the propitiation for our sins.
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In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
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Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
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No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
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By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
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And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
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Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
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So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
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In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
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There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
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We love, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
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If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he 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 who loveth God love his brother also.
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And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also.
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.