[I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]—

and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]—

My dear children, I am writing you this so that you may not sin; yet if anyone ever sins, we have One who pleads our case with the Father, Jesus Christ, One who is righteous.

And He is the One who provides a "covering over" [or atonement] for our sins [See Heb. 2:17; Dan. 9:24; II Chron. 29:24], and not for ours [who are already Christians] only, but also for the sins of the people of the whole world.

He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in this man.

But in every man who keeps his word, the love of God is made complete. By this we may be certain that we are in him:

He who claims to abide in him he also ought so to walk just as that man walked.

He who claims to be in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now.

He who loves his brother abides in the light, and no cause of stumbling is in him.

But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and he goes about in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father.

I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.

And the world passes away, and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides into the age.

Children, it is the last hour [the end of this age]; and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming [the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him], even now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour.

They have gone out from our own number, but they did not really belong to us; for if they had, they would have stayed with us. It was to show that none of those who went out really belonged to us.

As for you who have receiv'd the unction of the holy spirit, you know the whole affair.

I have not written to you, as to people unacquainted with the truth of the gospel: but as to such who know it, and know that it cannot give rise to any imposture.

Who is the liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, even he that denieth the Father and the Son.

Every man who denies the Son, also does not have the Father.

I wrote these things to you concerning those who lead you astray.

If you have knowledge that he is upright, it is clear to you that everyone who does righteousness is his offspring.

See what great love the Father has given us in naming us the children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not see who we are, because it did not see who he was.

And every man who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as that man is pure.

Everyone who is a sinner goes against the law, for sin is going against the law.

Every man abiding in him does not sin. Every man who is sinning has not seen him, nor has known him.

Little children, let no man lead you astray. He who is doing righteousness is righteous, just as that man is righteous.

He who is doing sin is of the devil, because the devil sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was made known for this, so that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Every man who has been begotten of God is not doing sin, because his seed abides in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been begotten of God.

By this the children of God are visible, and the children of the devil. Every man not doing righteousness is not of God, and he who is not loving his brother.

for this is the injunction which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: not as Cain who was of the evil one, and slew his brother;

Not being of the Evil One like Cain, who put his brother to death. And why did he put him to death? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were good.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who is not loving the brother abides in death.

Anyone who has hate for his brother is a taker of life, and you may be certain that no taker of life has eternal life in him.

By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.

Now whoever has [a sufficient amount of] life's possessions and [then] observes one of his [Christian] brothers who does not have enough to get by on, but does not feel sorry for him [i.e., enough to help him out], surely a love for God does not continue to live in that person's heart.

But, if our hearts condemn us [for not demonstrating God's love for others], surely God, who is greater than our hearts [will also condemn us], because He knows all things.

And he who keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit that he gave us.

This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.

But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now.

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

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

Beloved, we should love each other. Because love is of God, and every man who loves has been begotten of God, and knows God.

He who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

and what heightens his love, was this, that it was not we who first loved God, but it was he that first loved us, and sent his son to expiate our sins.

Everyone who says openly that Jesus is the Son of God, has God in him and is in God.

And we know, and have believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Fear is not in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear holds punishment, and he who is afraid has not been fully perfected in love.

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, cannot love God whom he hath not seen.

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

Every man who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten from God, and every man who loves him who begot, also loves him who has been begotten from him.

because every one who is begotten of God doth overcome the world, and this is the victory that did overcome the world -- our faith;

And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And it is the Spirit that testifies, because the Spirit is truth.

Because those who testify are three:

For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.

He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified about his Son.

He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

I wrote these things to you, those who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe in the name of the Son of God.

If any one sees his brother committing a sin that is not deadly, he shall ask, and God will give him life, for any one who is not committing a deadly sin. There is a deadly sin; concerning that I do not say that he should pray.

We know that every man who has been begotten from God does not sin, but he who was begotten from God keeps himself, and the evil does not touch him.

And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.