1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath given to us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world knows us not, because it knew Him not.
2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and never yet was it manifested what we shall be. We know that, if He shall be manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.
3 And every one that has this hope on Him purifies himself, even as He is pure.
4 Every one who commits sin commits lawlessness also; and sin is lawlessness.
5 And ye know that He was manifested, that He might take away sins; and in Him is no sin.
6 Every one that is abiding in Him sins not; whosoever sins has not seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.
8 He that commits sin is of the Devil; because the Devil sins from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the Devil.
9 Whosoever has been begotten of God sins not; because His seed abides in him, and he cannot sin because he has been begotten of God.
10 In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the Devil: every one that does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that does not love his brother;
11 because this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
12 not as Cain who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
13 Marvel not, brethren, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not abides in death.
15 Every one that hates his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 In this we have known the love, that He laid down His soul in our behalf; and we ought to lay down our souls in behalf of the brethren.
17 But whosoever possesses the goods of the world, and beholds his brother having need, and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19 Hereby we shall know that we are of the truth, and we shall assure our heart before Him;
20 because, if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence toward God;
22 and whatsoever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing before Him.
23 And this is the commandment, that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
24 And he that keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him; and in this we know that He abideth in us, by the Spirit Whom He gave to us.