Our faith overcomes the world

1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten by God; ⁶⁶also, whoever loves the Begetter should love the one begotten by Him as well.

2In this we know that we love the children of God, whenever we love God and keep His commandments.

3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; ⁶⁷His commandments are not burdensome,

4in that whatever has been begotten by God overcomes the world; ⁶⁸this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

5Who is he who overcomes the world if not he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Receive the witness of God

6This is He who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water ⁶⁹and the blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the Truth;

7actually there are three who bear witness ⁷⁰

8—the Spirit, the water and the blood—and the three are to one effect.

9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for this is God's testimony which He has testified concerning His Son.

10He who believes into the Son of God has the witness within himself; he who does not believe God has made Him out to be a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning His Son.

11And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. ⁷¹

13I have written these things to you who believe into the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life, really believing into the name of God's Son. ⁷²

Our confidence

14Now this is the confidence that we have toward Him: if we should ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we may ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him. ⁷³

Sins not leading to death

16If anyone should see his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, let him ask, and He will give him life for those who do not sin unto death. There is sin leading to death; I am not saying that he should make request about that.

17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death. ⁷⁴

18We know that whoever has been begotten by God does not sin; ⁷⁵rather the one who was begotten by God preserves himself, ⁷⁶and the evil one does not touch him. ⁷⁷

19We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. ⁷⁸

20We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the genuine God, and the Life eternal.

21Dear children, guard yourselves from idols. ⁷⁹Amen.