1 B eloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;

2 B y this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) has become man and has come in the flesh is of God;

in this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is,

3 A nd every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh '> annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God. This '> nonconfession] is the of the antichrist, which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.

and every spirit that doth not confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is not; and this is that of the antichrist, which ye heard that it doth come, and now in the world it is already.

4 L ittle children, you are of God and have defeated and overcome them, because He Who lives in you is greater (mightier) than he who is in the world.

Ye -- of God ye are, little children, and ye have overcome them; because greater is He who in you, than he who is in the world.

5 T hey proceed from the world and are of the world; therefore it is out of the world '> whole economy morally considered] that they speak, and the world listens (pays attention) to them.

They -- of the world they are; because of this from the world they speak, and the world doth hear them;

6 W e are of God. Whoever is learning to know God '> get an ever-clearer knowledge of Him] listens to us; and he who is not of God does not listen or pay attention to us. By this we know (recognize) the Spirit of Truth and the spirit of error.

we -- of God we are; he who is knowing God doth hear us; he who is not of God, doth not hear us; from this we know the spirit of the truth, and the spirit of the error.

7 B eloved, let us love one another, for love is (springs) from God; and he who loves is begotten (born) of God and is coming to know and understand God.

Beloved, may we love one another, because the love is of God, and every one who is loving, of God he hath been begotten, and doth know God;

8 H e who does not love has not become acquainted with God, for God is love.

he who is not loving did not know God, because God is love.

9 I n this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique, into the world so that we might live through Him.

In this was manifested the love of God in us, because His Son -- the only begotten -- hath God sent to the world, that we may live through him;

10 I n this is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation (the atoning sacrifice) for our sins.

in this is the love, not that we loved God, but that He did love us, and did send His Son a propitiation for our sins.

11 B eloved, if God loved us so, we also ought to love one another.

Beloved, if thus did God love us, we also ought one another to love;

12 N o man has at any time seen God. But if we love one another, God abides (lives and remains) in us and His love (that love which is essentially His) is brought to completion (to its full maturity, runs its full course, is perfected) in us!

God no one hath ever seen; if we may love one another, God in us doth remain, and His love is having been perfected in us;

13 B y this we come to know (perceive, recognize, and understand) that we abide (live and remain) in Him and He in us: because He has given (imparted) to us of His Spirit.

in this we know that in Him we do remain, and He in us, because of His Spirit He hath given us.

14 A nd we ourselves have seen (have deliberately and steadfastly contemplated) and bear witness that the Father has sent the Son Savior of the world.

And we -- we have seen and do testify, that the Father hath sent the Son -- Saviour of the world;

15 A nyone who confesses (acknowledges, owns) that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides (lives, makes His home) in him and he in God.

whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God in him doth remain, and he in God;

16 A nd we know (understand, recognize, are conscious of, by observation and by experience) and believe (adhere to and put faith in and rely on) the love God cherishes for us. God is love, and he who dwells and continues in love dwells and continues in God, and God dwells and continues in him.

and we -- we have known and believed the love, that God hath in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in the love, in God he doth remain, and God in him.

17 I n this love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world.

In this made perfect hath been the love with us, that boldness we may have in the day of the judgment, because even as He is, we -- we also are in this world;

18 T here is no fear in love, but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love.

fear is not in the love, but the perfect love doth cast out the fear, because the fear hath punishment, and he who is fearing hath not been made perfect in the love;

19 W e love Him, because He first loved us.

we -- we love him, because He -- He first loved us;

20 I f anyone says, I love God, and hates (detests, abominates) his brother '> in Christ], he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, Whom he has not seen.

if any one may say -- `I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God -- whom he hath not seen -- how is he able to love?

21 A nd this command (charge, order, injunction) we have from Him: that he who loves God shall love his brother '> believer] also.

and this the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.