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.