1 John · Young's Literal Translation
1 John 4 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;
1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 in this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is,
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit that doth not confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is not; and this is that of the antichrist, which ye heard that it doth come, and now in the world it is already.
3 and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God; and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
4 Ye — of God ye are, little children, and ye have overcome them; because greater is He who [is] in you, than he who is in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
5 They — of the world they are; because of this from the world they speak, and the world doth hear them;
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
6 we — of God we are; he who is knowing God doth hear us; he who is not of God, doth not hear us; from this we know the spirit of the truth, and the spirit of the error.
6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God doesn’t listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
7 Beloved, may we love one another, because the love is of God, and every one who is loving, of God he hath been begotten, and doth know God;
7 Beloved, let’s love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 he who is not loving did not know God, because God is love.
8 He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God in us, because His Son — the only begotten — hath God sent to the world, that we may live through him;
9 By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his only born Son into the world that we might live through him.
10 in this is the love, not that we loved God, but that He did love us, and did send His Son a propitiation for our sins.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11 Beloved, if thus did God love us, we also ought one another to love;
11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
12 God no one hath ever seen; if we may love one another, God in us doth remain, and His love is having been perfected in us;
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
13 in this we know that in Him we do remain, and He in us, because of His Spirit He hath given us.
13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we — we have seen and do testify, that the Father hath sent the Son — Saviour of the world;
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
15 whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God in him doth remain, and he in God;
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
16 and we — we have known and believed the love, that God hath in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in the love, in God he doth remain, and God in him.
16 We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
17 In this made perfect hath been the love with us, that boldness we may have in the day of the judgment, because even as He is, we — we also are in this world;
17 In this, love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so we are in this world.
18 fear is not in the love, but the perfect love doth cast out the fear, because the fear hath punishment, and he who is fearing hath not been made perfect in the love;
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 we — we love him, because He — He first loved us;
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 if any one may say — 'I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God — whom he hath not seen — how is he able to love?
20 If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
21 and this [is] the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.
21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
Cross references (21)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 Timothy 4:1; Proverbs 14:15; 2 John 7
- 2 John 1:14; 1 Corinthians 12:3; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 4:3
- 3 1 John 2:22; 2 John 7; 1 John 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–8
- 4 Romans 8:31; 1 John 5:4; Romans 8:37; 1 John 4:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12
- 5 John 8:23; 2 Peter 2:2–3; John 17:14; John 3:31; John 17:16
- 6 John 14:17; John 10:27; 1 Corinthians 2:12–14; John 15:26; 1 John 4:1
- 7 1 John 4:20–5:1; 1 John 4:8; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 2:10; Galatians 5:22
- 8 1 John 4:16; 1 John 4:7; Psalm 86:15; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Psalm 86:5
- 9 John 3:16; 1 John 5:11; Romans 8:32; 1 John 4:10; John 6:57
- 10 Ephesians 2:4–5; Romans 5:8–10; 1 John 4:19; 1 John 2:2; John 15:16
- 11 John 15:12–13; Colossians 3:13; John 13:34; 1 John 3:23; Luke 10:37
- 12 John 1:18; 1 John 2:5; 1 John 4:17–18; 1 Timothy 6:16; 1 John 4:20
- 13 1 John 3:24; Ephesians 2:20–22; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; Galatians 5:22–25; 1 Corinthians 2:12
- 14 1 John 4:10; John 3:16–17; John 4:42; John 1:14; John 1:29
- 15 Romans 10:9; Matthew 10:32; 1 John 5:5; 1 John 3:24; 1 John 4:2
- 16 1 John 3:24; Psalm 36:7–9; 1 John 3:1; Psalm 18:1–3; 1 John 4:8–10
- 17 1 John 4:12; 1 John 2:28; Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:3; 1 John 2:5
- 18 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:15; 1 John 4:12; Luke 1:74–75; Hebrews 12:28
- 19 1 John 4:10; John 3:16; John 15:16; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Titus 3:3–5
- 20 1 John 3:17; 1 John 2:9; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:11
- 21 Matthew 22:37–39; Leviticus 19:18; 1 John 3:11; Galatians 5:14; 1 Peter 3:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
So is this world to all the faithful seeking their own country, as was the desert to the people Israel. They wandered indeed as yet, and were seeking their own country: but with God for their guide they could not wander astray. Their way was God's bidding.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
"For whosoever does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is antichrist;" and whosoever does not confess the testimony of the cross, is of the devil; and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to his own lusts, and says that there is neither a resurrection nor a judgment, he is the first-born of Satan.
For that fear of which the Apostle John says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love," --that fear is not of the same kind as the Apostle Paul felt lest the Corinthians should be seduced by the subtlety of the serpent; for …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… to the soldiers, fear not, but to you; as for them, let them be afraid, that, taught by experience, they may bear witness and say, Truly this was the Son of God; but you ought not to be afraid, for perfect love casteth out fear.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
They fear God, indeed, but it is with that servile fear "which is not in love; for perfect love casteth out fear." Therefore to them that hope in Him He perfecteth His sweetness, inspiring them with His own love, so that with a holy fear, which love does not cast out, but which endureth for ever, they may, when they …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)