1Behold! What glorious love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him. 2Beloved, now we are the children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is. 3And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as He is pure.

4Everyone who practices sin is also practicing lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. 5And you know that He appeared in order that He might take away our sins; and in Him is no sin. 6Everyone who dwells in Him does not practice sin; anyone who practices sin has not seen Him, nor has known Him. 7Little children, do not allow anyone to deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous. 8The one who practices sin is of the devil because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9Everyone who has been begotten by God does not practice sin because His seed of begettal is dwelling within him, and he is not able to practice sin because he has been begotten by God. 10By this standard are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil. Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, and neither is the one who does not love his brother.

11For this is the message that you heard from the beginning--that we should love one another; 12Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and murdered his own brother. And what was the reason that he murdered him? Because his own works were wicked, but his brother's works were righteous.

13My brethren, do not be amazed if the world hates you. 14We know that we have passed from death into life because we love the brethren. The one who does not love his brother is dwelling in death. 15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life dwelling within him. 16By this very act we have known the love of God because He laid down His life for us: and we ourselves are to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his feelings of compassion from him, how can the love of God be dwelling in him? 18My little children, we should not love in word, nor with our tongues; rather, we should love in deed and in truth. 19And in this way we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him, 20That if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knows all things. 21Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, then we have confidence toward God. 22And whatever we may ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and practice those things that are pleasing in His sight.

23And this is His commandment: that we believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and that we love one another, exactly as He gave commandment to us. 24And the one who keeps His commandments is dwelling in Him, and He in him; and by this we know that He is dwelling in us: by the Spirit which He has given to us.