Prologue: Our Declaration

1What was from the beginning,a

what we have heard,

what we have seen with our eyes,

what we have observed

and have touched with our hands,

concerning the Wordb of life —

2that life was revealed,c

and we have seen it

and we testify and declare to you

the eternal life that was with the Father

and was revealed to usd —

3what we have seen and heard

we also declare to you,

so that you may have fellowshipe along with us;

and indeed our fellowship is with the Fatherf

and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4We are writing these thingsg

so that ourh joyi may be complete.

Fellowship with God

5Now this is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light,j and there is absolutely no darkness in Him.k 6If we say, “We have fellowshipl with Him,” yet we •walk in darkness,m we are lying and are not practicingn the truth.o 7But if we walk in the lightp as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesusq His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8If we say, “We have no sin,”r we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgives us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say, “We don’t have any sin,” we make Him a liar, and His wordt is not in us.u