| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. | 1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. |
| 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, | 2By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus as the Christ who has come in the flesh is from God, |
| 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. | 3but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God, and this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world. |
| 4Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. | 4You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. |
| 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. | 5They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world's perspective and the world listens to them. |
| 6We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error. | 6We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit. |
| 7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. | 7Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been fathered by God and knows God. |
| 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. | 8The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love. |
| 9In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. | 9By this the love of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. |
| 10In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. | 10In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. |
| 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. | 11Dear friends, if God so loved us, then we also ought to love one another. |
| 12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. | 12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God resides in us, and his love is perfected in us. |
| 13By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. | 13By this we know that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit. |
| 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. | 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. |
| 15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. | 15If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. |
| 16So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. | 16And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him. |
| 17By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. | 17By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. |
| 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. | 18There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. |
| 19We love because he first loved us. | 19We love because he loved us first. |
| 20If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. | 20If anyone says "I love God" and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. |
| 21And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. | 21And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too. |
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