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¹ MY little children, these things I write to you, that you do not sin. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

³ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.⁴ He who says, I know him, and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.⁵ But whoso keeps his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby we know that we are in him.⁶ He who says, he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

⁷ My beloved, I do not write a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have already heard.⁸ Again, a new commandment I do write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines.⁹ He who says he is in the light but hates his brother, is therefore in darkness even until now.¹⁰ He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for displeasure in him.¹¹ But he who hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.

¹² I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name''s sake.¹³ I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, little children, because you have known the Father.¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.¹⁵ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the body, and the covetousness of the eyes, and the pride of material things; does not come from the Father, but is of the world.¹⁷ And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he who does the will of God abides forever.

¹⁸ My children, it is the last time: and as you have heard that a false Christ shall come, even now there are many false Christs, and from this we know that it is the last time.¹⁹ They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they left us, that it might be known they did not belong to us.

²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you are enabled to distinguish between men.²¹ I have written to you not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie comes out of the truth.²² Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is a false christ, and whoever denies the Father, denies the Son also.²³ Whoever denies the Son, the same does not believe in the Father; but whoever acknowledges the Son, acknowledges the Father also.²⁴ Let that, therefore, abide in you which you have heard from the very beginning. For if that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Father and in the Son.²⁵ And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life.²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who seduce you.²⁷ And you also, if the anointing which you have received from him abides among you, need no one to teach you: that same anointing which is of God, will teach you all things; it is a truth, and there is no lie in it; and even as I have taught you, abide in it.

²⁸ And now, my children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may not be ashamed before him, but have pride at his coming.²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you know also that every one who does righteousness is of him.