1 Moost dere britheren, nyle ye bileue to ech spirit, but preue ye spiritis, if thei ben of God; for many false prophetis wenten out in to the world.

2 In this thing the spirit of God is knowun; ech spirit that knowlechith that Jhesu Crist hath come in fleisch, is of God;

3 and ech spirit that fordoith Jhesu, is not of God. And this is antecrist, of whom ye herden, that he cometh; and riyt now he is in the world.

4 Ye, litle sones, ben of God, and ye han ouercome hym; for he that is in you is more, than he that is in the world.

5 Thei ben of the world, therfor thei speken of the world, and the world herith hem.

6 We ben of God; he that knowith God, herith vs; he that is not of God, herith not vs. In this thing we knowen the spirit of treuthe, and the spirit of errour.

7 Moost dere britheren, loue we togidere, for charite is of God; and ech that loueth his brother, is borun of God, and knowith God.

8 He that loueth not, knowith not God; for God is charite.

9 In this thing the charite of God apperide in vs, for God sente hise oon bigetun sone in to the world, that we lyue bi hym.

10 In this thing is charite, not as we hadden loued God, but for he firste louede vs, and sente hise sone foryyuenesse for oure synnes.

11 Ye moost dere britheren, if God louede vs, we owen to loue ech other.

12 No man say euer God; if we louen togidre, God dwellith in vs, and the charite of hym is perfit in vs.

13 In this thing we knowen, that we dwellen in hym, and he in vs; for of his spirit he yaf to vs.

14 And we sayen, and witnessen, that the fadir sente his sone sauyour of the world.

15 Who euer knowlechith, that Jhesu is the sone of God, God dwellith in him, and he in God.

16 And we han knowun, and bileuen to the charite, that God hath in vs. God is charite, and he that dwellith in charite, dwellith in God, and God in hym.

17 In this thing is the perfit charite of God with vs, that we haue trist in the dai of dom; for as he is, also we ben in this world.

18 Drede is not in charite, but perfit charite puttith out drede; for drede hath peyne. But he that dredith, is not perfit in charite.

19 Therfor loue we God, for he louede vs bifore.

20 If ony man seith, that `Y loue God, and hatith his brother, he is a liere. For he that loueth not his brothir, which he seeth, hou mai he loue God, whom he seeth not?

21 And we han this comaundement of God, that he that loueth God, loue also his brothir.