1 John 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.	1 My dear friends, not every spirit is to be trusted, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,for many false prophets are at large in the world.
2 This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh be longs to God,	2 This is the proof of the spirit of God: any spirit which acknowledges Jesus Christ, come in humannature, is from God,
3 and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God. This is the spirit of the antichrist that, as you heard, is to come, but in fact is already in the world.	3 and no spirit which fails to acknowledge Jesus is from God; it is the spirit of Antichrist, whose comingyou have heard of; he is already at large in the world.
4 You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.	4 Children, you are from God and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he whois in the world.
5 They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them.	5 They are from the world, and therefore the world inspires what they say, and listens to them.
6 We belong to God, and anyone who knows God listens to us, while anyone who does not belong to God refuses to hear us. This is how we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.	6 We are from God; whoever recognises God listens to us; anyone who is not from God refuses to listento us. This is how we can distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of falsehood.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.	7 My dear friends, let us love one another, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child ofGod and knows God.
8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.	8 Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love.
9 In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him.	9 This is the revelation of God's love for us, that God sent his only Son into the world that we might havelife through him.
10 In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.	10 Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to expiate oursins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.	11 My dear friends, if God loved us so much, we too should love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.	12 No one has ever seen God, but as long as we love one another God remains in us and his love comesto its perfection in us.
13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.	13 This is the proof that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us a share in his Spirit.
14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.	14 We ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world.
15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.	15 Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.
16 We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.	16 We have recognised for ourselves, and put our faith in, the love God has for us. God is love, andwhoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
17 In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world.	17 Love comes to its perfection in us when we can face the Day of Judgement fearlessly, because evenin this world we have become as he is.
18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.	18 In love there is no room for fear, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear implies punishment andno one who is afraid has come to perfection in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.	19 Let us love, then, because he first loved us.
20 If anyone says, "I love God," but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.	20 Anyone who says 'I love God' and hates his brother, is a liar, since whoever does not love the brotherwhom he can see cannot love God whom he has not seen.
21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.	21 Indeed this is the commandment we have received from him, that whoever loves God, must also lovehis brother.