1 John 4 - Living Bible (TLB)

4 Dearly loved friends, don’t always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God: test it first to see if it really is. For there are many false teachers around, 2 and the way to find out if their message is from the Holy Spirit is to ask: Does it really agree that Jesus Christ, God’s Son, actually became man with a human body? If so, then the message is from God. 3 If not, the message is not from God but from one who is against Christ, like the “Antichrist” you have heard about who is going to come, and his attitude of enmity against Christ is already abroad in the world.

4 Dear young friends, you belong to God and have already won your fight with those who are against Christ because there is someone in your hearts who is stronger than any evil teacher in this wicked world. 5 These men belong to this world, so, quite naturally, they are concerned about worldly affairs and the world pays attention to them. 6 But we are children of God; that is why only those who have walked and talked with God will listen to us. Others won’t. That is another way to know whether a message is really from God; for if it is, the world won’t listen to it.

7 Dear friends, let us practice loving each other, for love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God, and that they are getting to know him better. 8 But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows that he doesn’t know God—for God is love.

9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into this wicked world to bring to us eternal life through his death. 10 In this act we see what real love is: it is not our love for God but his love for us when he sent his Son to satisfy God’s anger against our sins.

11 Dear friends, since God loved us as much as that, we surely ought to love each other too. 12 For though we have never yet seen God, when we love each other God lives in us, and his love within us grows ever stronger. 13 And he has put his own Holy Spirit into our hearts as a proof to us that we are living with him and he with us. 14 And furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now tell all the world that God sent his Son to be their Savior. 15 Anyone who believes and says that Jesus is the Son of God has God living in him, and he is living with God.

16 We know how much God loves us because we have felt his love and because we believe him when he tells us that he loves us dearly. God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him. 17 And as we live with Christ, our love grows more perfect and complete; so we will not be ashamed and embarrassed at the day of judgment, but can face him with confidence and joy because he loves us and we love him too.

18 We need have no fear of someone who loves us perfectly; his perfect love for us eliminates all dread of what he might do to us. If we are afraid, it is for fear of what he might do to us and shows that we are not fully convinced that he really loves us. 19 So you see, our love for him comes as a result of his loving us first.

20 If anyone says “I love God,” but keeps on hating his brother, he is a liar; for if he doesn’t love his brother who is right there in front of him, how can he love God whom he has never seen? 21 And God himself has said that one must love not only God but his brother too.

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1 John 4 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

4 Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to 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, 3 and every spirit that doth not confess ...
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1 John 4 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

4 Most dear brethren, do not ye believe to each spirit, but prove ye the spirits, if they be of God; for many false prophets went out into the world. 2 In this thing the Spirit of God is known; each spirit that acknowledgeth that Jesus Christ hath come in flesh, is of God; 3 and each spirit that u...
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1 John 4 - Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE)

4 My dear brothers, do not trust every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they belong to God. There are many prophets who are not true who have gone out into the world. 2 Here is how you can know the Spirit of God. Every spirit that believes that Jesus Christ has come in the body of a man is fro...
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1 John 4 - World English Bible (WEB)

4 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 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 who doesn’t confess...
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1 John 4 - The Voice (VOICE)

4 My loved ones, I warn you: do not trust every spirit. Instead, examine them carefully to determine if they come from God, because the corrupt world is filled with the voices of many false prophets. 2 Here is how you know God’s Spirit: if a spirit affirms the truth that Jesus the Anointed, our Lib...
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1 John 4 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Yeshua, the Ruach of Truth4 Loved ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. [a] 2 You know the Ruach Elohim by this—every spirit that acknowledges that Messiah Yeshua has come in human flesh is from God,...
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1 John 4 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Testing the Spirits4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits[a] to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every...
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1 John 4 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Testing the Spirits4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every sp...
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1 John 4 - Revised Geneva Translation (RGT)

4 Dearly beloved, do not believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they are of God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you shall know the Spirit of God: Every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God. 3 And every spirit that doe...
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1 John 4 - New Testament for Everyone (NTE)

False Prophets4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit. Rather, test the spirits to see whether they are from God. Many false prophets, you see, have gone out into the world. 2 This is how we know God’s spirit: every spirit that agrees that Jesus the Messiah has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and ...
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1 John 4 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Testing the Spirits4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every...
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1 John 4 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Testing the Spirits4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.(A)2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every...
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1 John 4 - New Matthew Bible (NMB)

Difference of spirits, and how the Spirit of God may be known from the spirit of error. Of the love of God and of our neighbours. 4 Ye beloveds, believe not every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God or not. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you may kn...
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1 John 4 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Discerning False Prophets4 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 2 This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a pro...
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1 John 4 - New Life Version (NLV)

The Spirits Must Be Tested4 Dear Christian friends, do not believe every spirit. But test the spirits to see if they are from God for there are many false preachers in the world. 2 You can tell if the spirit is from God in this way: Every spirit that says Jesus Christ has come in a human body is fr...
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1 John 4 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Love for God and One Another4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but (A)test the spirits, whether they are of God; because (B)many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: (C)Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ...
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