1 John 4 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Jesus Came as a Human Being

4 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit. Test the spirits to see if they belong to God. Many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 Here is how you can recognize the Spirit of God. Every spirit agreeing that Jesus Christ came in a human body belongs to God. 3 But every spirit that doesn’t agree with this does not belong to God. You have heard that the spirit of the great enemy of Christ is coming. Even now it is already in the world.

4 Dear children, you belong to God. You have not accepted the teachings of the false prophets. That’s because the one who is in you is powerful. He is more powerful than the one who is in the world. 5 False prophets belong to the world. So they speak from the world’s point of view. And the world listens to them. 6 We belong to God. And those who know God listen to us. But those who don’t belong to God don’t listen to us. That’s how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of lies.

We Love Because God Loved Us

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has become a child of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 Here is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only Son into the world. He sent him so we could receive life through him. 10 Here is what love is. It is not that we loved God. It is that he loved us and sent his Son to give his life to pay for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we should also love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us. His love is made complete in us.

13 Here’s how we know that we are joined to him and he to us. He has given us his Holy Spirit. 14 The Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. We have seen it and are witnesses to it. 15 God lives in anyone who agrees that Jesus is the Son of God. This kind of person remains joined to God. 16 So we know that God loves us. We depend on it.

God is love. Anyone who leads a life of love is joined to God. And God is joined to them. 17 Suppose love is fulfilled among us. Then we can be without fear on the day God judges the world. Love is fulfilled among us when in this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. Instead, perfect love drives away fear. That’s because fear has to do with being punished. The one who fears does not have perfect love.

19 We love because he loved us first. 20 Suppose someone claims to love God but hates a brother or sister. Then they are a liar. They don’t love their brother or sister, whom they have seen. So they can’t love God, whom they haven’t seen. 21 Here is the command God has given us. Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

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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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