| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. | 1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether 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 of God, | 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, |
| 3and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. | 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. |
| 4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. | 4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. |
| 5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. | 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. |
| 6We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. | 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood. |
| 7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. | 7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. |
| 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. | 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. |
| 9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. | 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. |
| 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. | 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. |
| 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. | 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. |
| 12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. | 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. |
| 13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. | 13This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. |
| 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. | 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his 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 acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. |
| 16And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. | 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. |
| 17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. | 17This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. |
| 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect 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 is not made perfect in love. |
| 19We love Him because He first loved us. | 19We love because he first loved us. |
| 20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? | 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. |
| 21And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. | 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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