1 John 4

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 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 how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh be longs to 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 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 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 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 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 belong to the world; accordingly, their teaching belongs to the world, and the world listens to them.	5 They are of the world. Therefore, they speak about the world, and the world 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 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 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God 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 is without love does not know God, for God is love.	8 Whoever does not love, does not know God. For 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 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 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 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 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must 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. 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 if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected 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 In this way, we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he has given to us from his Spirit.
14 Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior 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 Whoever 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 We love because he first loved us.	19 Therefore, let us love God, for God 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 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 This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.	21 And this is the commandment that we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother.