1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten of God: and whoever loves him who begot loves him also who is begotten of him.

2 Hereby we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments.

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

4 For whatever is begotten of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that has overcome the world, [even] our faith.

5 And who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 This is he who came through water and blood: Jesus Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood. And the Spirit is who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

7 For there are three who bear witness,

8 the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three are in [agreement as] one.

9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for the witness of God is this, that he has borne witness concerning his Son.

10 He who believes on the Son of God, has the witness in himself: he who doesn't believe God, has made him a liar; because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning his Son.

11 And the witness is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He who has the Son, has the life; he who does not have the Son of God, does not have the life.

13 These things I have written to you{+}, that you{+} may know that you{+} have eternal life, [even] to you{+} who believe on the name of the Son of God.

14 And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us:

15 and if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.

16 If any man sees his brother sinning a sin not to death, he will ask, and [God] will give him life--for those who sin not to death. There is sin to death: [but] that's not what I am saying he should ask about.

17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is sin not to death.

18 We know that whoever is begotten of God does not sin; but he who was begotten of God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

21 [My] little children, guard yourselves from idols.