1 John 4

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Most beloved, do not be willing to believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are of God. For 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 The Spirit of God may be known in this way. Every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has arrived in the flesh is of 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 who contradicts Jesus is not of God. And this one is the Antichrist, the one that you have heard is coming, and even now he 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.	4 Little sons, you are of God, and so you have overcome him. For he who is in you is greater than he 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 are of the world. Therefore, they speak about 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 are of God. Whoever knows God, listens to us. Whoever is not of God, does not listen to us. In this way, we know the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error.
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 Most beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God. And everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever fails to love does not know God, because God is love.	8 Whoever does not 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 The love of God was made apparent to us in this way: that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, so that we might live 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 as if we had loved God, but that he first loved us, and so he sent his Son as a propitiation for our sins.
11 My dear friends, if God loved us so much, we too should love one another.	11 Most beloved, if God has so loved us, we also ought to 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. But if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected 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 In this way, we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he has given to us from his Spirit.
14 We ourselves have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as Saviour of the world.	14 And we have seen, and we testify, that the Father has sent his Son to be the 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 has confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides 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 And 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.
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 way, the love of God is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment. For as he is, so also 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 Fear is not in love. Instead, perfect love casts out fear, for fear pertains to punishment. And whoever fears is not perfected in love.
19 Let us love, then, because he first loved us.	19 Therefore, let us love God, for God 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 that he loves God, but hates his brother, then he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he does see, in what way can he love God, whom he does not see?
21 Indeed this is the commandment we have received from him, that whoever loves God, must also lovehis brother.	21 And this is the commandment that we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother.