| King James Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are 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. |
| 2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: | 2This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. |
| 3And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. | 3But every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist; you have heard that he is coming, and he is already in the world now. |
| 4Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. | 4You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. |
| 5They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. | 5They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. |
| 6We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. | 6We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. |
| 7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. | 7Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. |
| 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. | 8The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. |
| 9In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. | 9God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him. |
| 10Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. | 10Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. |
| 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. | 11Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. |
| 12No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. | 12No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and His love is perfected in us. |
| 13Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. | 13This is how we know that we remain in Him and He in us: He has given assurance to us from His Spirit. |
| 14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. | 14And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent His Son as the world's Savior. |
| 15Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. | 15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God--God remains in him and he in God. |
| 16And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. | 16And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. |
| 17Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. | 17In this, love is perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, for we are as He is in this world. |
| 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. | 18There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears has not reached perfection in love. |
| 19We love him, because he first loved us. | 19We love because He first loved us. |
| 20If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? | 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen. |
| 21And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. | 21And we have this command from Him: The one who loves God must also love his brother. |
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