Whiche thing was fro the bigynnyng, which we herden, which we siȝen with oure iȝen, whiche we bihelden, and oure hondes tretiden to gydere, or touchiden, of the word of lijf; and the lijf is shewid. And we siȝen, and we witnessen, and tellen to ȝou euerelastinge lijf, that was anentis the fadir, and apperide to vs. Therfore that thing, that we siȝen, and herden, that we tellen to ȝou, that and ȝe haue felaushippe with vs, and oure felauschip be with the fadir, and his sone Jhesu Crist. And this thing we writen to ȝou, that ȝe haue ioye, and that ȝoure ioye be ful. And this is the tellyng, that we herden of him, and tellen to ȝou, for God is liȝt, ony derknesses ben not in him. If we shulen seie, for we han felauschip with him, and we wandren in derknessis, we liȝen, and we don not treuthe. Sotheli if we walken in liȝt, as and he is in liȝt, we han felauschip to gydere; and the blood of Jhesu, his sone, clensith vs fro al synne. If we shulen seie, for we han not synne, we oure silf deceyuen vs, and treuthe is not in vs. If we knowlechen oure synnes, he is feithful and iust, that he forȝiue to vs oure synnes, and clense vs from al wickidnesse. And if we shulen seie, for we han not synned, we maken him a liȝer, and his word is not in vs.
Mi litle sones, I wrijte to ȝou thes thinges, that ȝe synne not. But and if ony man shal synne, we han an aduoket anentis the fadir, Jhesu Crist iust, and he is helpyng for oure synnes; sotheli not onely for oure, but also for of al the world. And in this thing we witen, for we han knowun him, if we kepen his comaundementes. He that seith him for to haue knowe God, and kepith not his comaundementes, is a liȝer, and treuthe is not in hym. Forsothe who kepith his word, verily in him is parfijt charite. In this thing we witen, for we ben in him, if we shulen be parfijt in him. He that seith him for to dwelle in him, and he owith for to walke, as he walkide. Moost dere, I wrijte to ȝou, not a newe maundement, but the olde maundement, that ȝe hadden fro the bigynnyng. The olde maundement is the word, that ȝe herden. Eftsoone I wrijte to ȝou a newe maundement, that is trewe and in him and in ȝou; for derknesses passeden, and verrey liȝt now shijneth. He that seith him for to be in liȝt, and haatith his brother, is in derknesse til to ȝit. He that loueth his brothir, dwellith in liȝt, and sclaundre is not in him. Sotheli he that haatith his brother, is in derknessis, and in derknessis wandrith, and woot not whidir he goith; for derknesses han blyndid his iȝen. Litel sones, I wrijte to ȝou, for ȝoure synnes ben forȝouun to ȝou for his name. Fadris, I wrijte to ȝou, for ȝe han knowun him, that is fro the bigynnynge. Ȝonge men, I wrijte to ȝou, for ȝe han ouercome the wickid. I wrijte to ȝou, infauntis, or ȝonge children, for ȝe han knowe the fadir. I write to ȝou, ȝonge men, or of mydle age, for ȝe ben stronge, and the word of God dwellith in ȝou, and ȝe ouercamen the wickid. Nyle ȝe loue the world, nether tho thinges that ben in the world. If ony man loueth the world, the charite of the fader is not in him. Forwhi al thing that is in the world, is coueytise of flesch, and coueytise of iȝen, and pride of lijf, whiche is not of the fadir, but it is of the world. And the world shal passe, and the coueytise of it; sotheli he that doith the wille of God, dwellith in to with outen ende. My litel sones, the last hour is; and as ȝe han herd, for antecrist cometh, now many antecristes ben made; wher of we witen, for it is the last hour. Thei wenten forth fro vs, but thei weren not of vs; forwhi if thei hadden be of vs, sotheli thei hadden dwelt with vs; but that thei be knowun, for thei ben not of vs. But ȝe han vnccioun of the Holy Goost, and han knowe alle thinges. I wroot not to ȝou, as to men that vnknowinge treuthe, but as to knowinge it, and for ech lesyng is not of treuthe. Who is a liȝer, no but this that denyeth for Jhesu is not Crist? This is antecrist, that denyeth the fadir, and the sone. Sotheli ech that denyeth the sone, nether hath the fadir; forsothe he that knowlechith the sone, hath and the fadir. That thing that ȝe herden fro the bigynnynge, dwelle it in ȝou; for if it shal dwelle in ȝou, the which ȝe herden at the bigynnynge, and ȝe shulen dwelle in the sone and in the fadir. And this is the aȝen biheest, that he bihiȝte to vs, euerelastyng lijf. I wroot thes thinges to ȝou, of hem that deceyuen ȝou; and the anoyntyng, the which ȝe receyueden of him, dwelle in ȝou. And ȝe han not nede, that ony man teche ȝou, but as his anoyntyng techith ȝou of alle thingis, and it is trewe, and it is not lesyng; and as he tauȝte ȝou, dwelle ȝe in him. And now, ȝe litel sones, dwellith in him, that whan he shal appere, we han trist, and be not confoundid of him in his comynge. If ȝe witen, for he is iust, wite ȝe for and ech that doith riȝtwisnesse, is born of him.
See ȝe what maner charite the fadir ȝaf to vs, that we be named the sones of God, and be. For this thing the world knew not vs, for it knew not him. Moost dere, now we ben the sones of God, and ȝit it apperide not, what we shulen be. We witen, for whan he shal appere, we shulen be lijk to him, for we shulen see him as he is. And ech man that hath this hope in him, makith him silf holy, as and he is holy. Ech man that doith synne, doith and wickidnesse, and synne is wickidnesse. And ȝe witen, for he apperide that he shulde do awey synnes, and synne is not in him. Ech man that dwellith in him, synneth not; and ech that synneth, seeth not him, ne knew hym. Litel sones, no man deceyue ȝou; he that doith riȝtwysnesse, is iust, as and he is iust. He that doith synne, is of the deuel; for the deuel synneth at the bigynnynge. In this thing the sone of God apperide, that he vndo the werkes of the deuel. Ech man that is born of God, doith not synne; for the seed of God dwellith in him, and he mai not synne, for he is born of God. In this thing the sones of God ben knowun, and the sones of the fend. Ech man that is not iust, is not of God, and he that loueth not his brother. For this is the tellyng, that ȝe herden at the bigynnyng, that ȝe loue ech other; not as Caym, that was of the yuel, and slow his brother. And for what thing slew he him? for his werkes weren yuele, sotheli his brotheris iust. Britheren, nyle ȝe wondre, if the world haatith ȝou. We witen, for we ben translatid fro deeth to lijf, for we loue britheren. He that loueth not, dwellith in deeth. Ech man that haatith his brother, is a manqueller; and ȝe witen, for ech manqueller hath not euerlasting lijf dwellinge in him. In this thing we han knowe the charite of God, for he puttide his soule, or lijf, for vs, and we owen for to putte oure soules for britheren. He that shal haue the substaunse of this world, and shal see his brother for to haue nede, and shal close his entrayles fro him, hou dwellith the charite of God in him? Mi litel sones, loue we not in word, nether in tunge, but in werk and treuthe. In this thing we knowen, for we ben of treuthe, and in his siȝt we monesten oure hertis. For if oure herte shal reproue vs, or vndernyme, God is more than oure herte, and knewe alle thinges. Moost dere, if oure herte shal not reproue vs, we han trist to God; and what euer we shulen axe, we shulen receyue of him, for we kepen his comaundementes, and we don tho thinges that ben plesaunt bifore him. And this is the comaundement of him, that we bileue in the name of his sone Jhesu Crist, and loue ech other, as he ȝaf heest to vs. And he that kepith his maundementes, dwellith in him, and he in him. And in this thing we witen, for he dwellith in vs, of the spirit, whom he ȝaf to vs.
Moost dere, nyle ȝe bileue to eche spirit, but proue ȝe spiritis, if thei ben of God; for many false prophetes wenten out in to the world. In this thing the spirit of God is knowun; ech spirit that knowlechith Crist for to haue comen in flesch, is of God; and ech spirit that dissolueth, or fordoith, Jhesu, is not of God. And this is antecrist, of whom ȝe herden, for he cometh; and riȝt now he is in the world. Ȝe, litel sones, ben of God, and ȝe han ouercome him; for he that is in ȝou is more, than he that in the world. Thei ben of the world, therfore thei speken of the world, and the world herith hem. We ben of God; he that knew 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. Moost dere, loue we to gydere, for charite is of God; and ech man that loueth his brother, is born of God, and knowith God. He that loueth not, hath not charite, nether knew God; for God is charite. In this thing the charite of God apperide in vs, for God sente his oon bigeten sone in to the world, that we lyue bi hym. In this thing is charite, not as we hadden loued God, but for he first louede vs, and sente his sone helpinge for oure synnes. Ȝe moost dere, if God louede vs, we owen for to loue ech other. No man siȝe euere God; if we louen to gydre, God dwellith in vs, and the charite of him is parfijt in vs. In this thing we knowen, for we dwellen in him, and he in vs; for of his spirit he ȝaf to vs. And we siȝen, and witnessen, for the fadir sente his sone sauyour of the world. Who euere shal knowleche, for Jhesu is the sone of God, God dwellith in him, and he in God. And we han knowen, 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 him. In this thing is the parfijt charite of God with vs, that we haue trist in the day of dome; for as he is, and we ben in this world. Drede is not in charite, but parfijt charite sendith out drede; for drede hath peyne. Forsothe he that dredith, is not parfijt in charite. Therfore loue we God, for he former louede vs. If ony man shal seie, for I loue God, and shal haate his brother, he is a liȝer. Sotheli he that loueth not his brother, whiche he seeth, hou mai he loue God, whom he seeth not? And we han this precept of God, that he that loueth God, loue and his brother.
Eche man that bileueth that Jhesus is Crist, is born of God; and eche man that loueth him that gendrith, loueth him that is born of him. In this thing we knowen, for we louen the children of God, whan we louen God, and don his maundementes. Sotheli this is charite of God, that we kepe his maundementes; and his maundementes ben not greuouse. For al thing that is born of God, ouercometh the world; and this is the victorie that ouercometh the world, oure feith. Forsothe who is it that ouercometh the world, no but he that bileueth for Jhesus is the sone of God? This is Jhesu Crist, that cam bi watir and blood; not in water onely, but in watir and blood. And the spirit is he that witnessith, that Crist is treuthe. For thre ben, that ȝiuen witnessing in heuen, the Fadir, the Word, or Sone, and the Hooly Goost; and thes thre ben oon. And thre ben, that ȝiuen witnessing in erthe, the spirit, water, and blood; and thes thre ben oon. If we receyuen witnessing of men, the witnessing of God is more; for this is the witnessing of God, that is more, for he witnesside of his sone. He that bileueth in to the sone of God, hath the witnessing of God in him. He that bileueth not to the sone, makith hym a liȝer; for he bileueth not in the witnessinge, that God witnesside of his sone. This is the witnessing, for God ȝaf to vs euerelastinge lijf, and this lijf is in his sone. He that hath the sone, hath and lijf; he that hath not the sone of God, hath not lijf. I wrijte to ȝou thes thinges, that ȝe wite, for ȝe han euerelastyng lijf, the whiche bileuen in the name of Goddis sone. And this is the trist that we han to God, for what euere thing we shal axe vp his wille, he shal here vs. And we witen, for he herith vs, what euer thing we shulen axe; we witen, for we han the axynges, whiche we axen of him. He that woot his brother for to synne a synne not to the deeth, axe he, and lijf shal be ȝouun to him, synnynge not to the deeth. Ther is a synne to deeth; not for it I seie, that ony man preye. Eche wickidnesse is synne, and there is synne to deeth. We witen, for ech man that is born of God, synneth not; but the generacioun of God kepith him, and the wickid touchith him not. We witen, for we ben of God, and al the world is put in wickid. And we witen, for the sone of God cam, and clothide flesch for the cause of vs, and suffride, and roos aȝen fro deede men, and toke vs to, and ȝaf to vs wit, that we knowe verrey God, and be in the verrey sone of him. This is verrey God, and euerelastyng lijf. Litel sones, kepe ȝe ȝou fro simulacris, or coueytise.
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