1 BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2 Beloved, now are we the children of God, and it is not yet evident what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; because we shall see him as he is.
3 And every one who hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4 Every one who committeth sin, committeth also a transgression of the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5 And ye know that he was manifested, that he might take away our sins; and in him there is no sin.
6 Every one who abideth in him, doth not sin; every one who sinneth hath not seen him, nor known him.
7 My dear children, let no man deceive you: he who doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:
8 he that practises sin is of the devil; for from the beginning the devil sinneth. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Every one who is born of God, doth not practise sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 By this the children of God are manifestly seen, and the children of the devil. Every one that doth not practise righteousness, is not of God, and he that loveth not his brother.
11 For this is the commandment which ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and slew his brother: and wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were wicked, and those of his brother righteous.
13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 We know that we are passed out of [a state of] death into life, because we love the brethren: he that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15 Every one who hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath life eternal abiding in him.
16 By this we have known the love [of Christ], because for us he laid down his own life: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17 But whosoever hath worldly abundance, and seeth his brother under necessity, and shutteth his bowels of compassion against him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18 My dear children, let us not love in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth;
19 and hereby we know that we are of the truth, and in his presence have this persuasion in our hearts.
20 For should 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 towards God.
22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things which are pleasing in his sight.
23 And this is his 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 keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him; and by this we know that he abideth in us, from the Spirit which he hath given us.