1 ¶ Consider what great love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: that is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him.

2 Beloved, we are now God’s children, but what we are going to be like has not yet been revealed: however we know that, when he appears, we will be like him; for we will see him as he is.

3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

4 ¶ Whoever sins breaks the law: for sin is a violation of the law.

5 And you know that he appeared in order to take away our sins; and there is no sin in him.

6 Whoever abides in him does not continue in sin: whoever continues to do what is sinful has not seen him, or known him.

7 Little children, do not let any man deceive you: he who does what is right is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared, was to destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whoever has been born of God does not continue in sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

10 By this we can see who the children of God are, and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not of God, neither is anyone who does not love his brother.

11 ¶ For this is the message that you 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 why did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, while his brother’s were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, my brethren, if the world hates you.

14 ¶ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. Anyone who does not love his brother remains dead.

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer: and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.

16 Because Christ laid down his life for us, we know what love is: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17 But if anyone has this world’s goods, and sees that his brother is in need, and shuts his heart against him, how can the love of God remain in him?

18 My little children, let us not love with words, or tongue; but in actions and in truth.

19 That is how we know that we are of the truth, and reassure our heart before him.

20 ¶ If for any reason our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

21 Beloved, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

22 And whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we are keeping his commandments, and doing those things that are pleasing in his sight.

23 ¶ And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he instructed us.

24 Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them. And we know that he lives in us, through the Spirit that he has given us.