1Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God l For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2Beloved, now are we children of God, and it hath not yet been manifested what we shall be. We know that, when it shall be manifested, we shall be like him; because we shall see him as he is.
3And every one that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.
4Whoever committeth sin transgresseth thereby the law; for sin is a transgression of the law.
5And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin.
6Whoever abideth in him sinneth not; whoever sinneth hath not seen him, nor known him.
7My children, let no one deceive you; he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8He that committeth sin is of the Devil; for the Devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil.
9Whoever hath been born of God doth not commit sin, because his seed abideth in him; and he cannot sin, because he hath been born of God.
10In this are manifest the children of God and the children of the Devil. Whoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, and he that loveth not his brother.
11For this is the message that ye have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
12not as Cain 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.
13Wonder not, brethren, if the world hateth you.
14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren; he that loveth not abideth in death.
15Whoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and ye know that no murderer hath everlasting life abiding in him.
16Herein we know love, in that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17But whoever hath this world's goods, and seeth his brother having need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
18My children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him;
20because if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have confidence toward God;
22and whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
23And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, as he gave commandment.
24And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him; and hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit, which he gave us.