1 John 4

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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.	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.
2 This is the proof of the spirit of God: any spirit which acknowledges Jesus Christ, come in humannature, is from God,	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,
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.	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.
4 Children, you are from God and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he whois 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.
5 They are from the world, and therefore the world inspires what they say, and listens to them.	5 They belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them.
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.	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.
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.	7 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
8 Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love.	8 Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
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.	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.
10 Love consists in this: it is not we who loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to expiate oursins.	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.
11 My dear friends, if God loved us so much, we too should love one another.	11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another.
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.	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.
13 This is the proof that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us a share in his Spirit.	13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit.
14 We ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world.	14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
15 Anyone who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.	15 Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.
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.	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.
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.	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.
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.	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.
19 Let us love, then, because he first loved us.	19 We love because he first loved us.
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.	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.
21 Indeed this is the commandment we have received from him, that whoever loves God, must also lovehis brother.	21 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.