Chapter 1 edit

1 That thing that was fro the bigynnyng, which we herden, which we sayn with oure iyen, which we bihelden, and oure hondis touchiden, of the word of lijf; and the lijf is schewid.

2 And we sayn, and we witnessen, and tellen to you the euerlastynge lijf, that was anentis the fadir, and apperide to vs.

3 Therfor `we tellen to you that thing, that we seyn, and herden, that also ye haue felowschipe with vs, and oure felowschip be with the fadir, and with his sone Jhesu Crist.

4 And we writen this thing to you, that ye haue ioye, and that youre ioye be ful.

5 And this is the tellyng, that we herden of hym, and tellen to you, that God is liyt, and ther ben no derknessis in him.

6 If we seien, that we han felawschip with hym, and we wandren in derknessis, we lien, and don not treuthe.

7 But if we walken in liyt, as also he is in liyt, we han felawschip togidere; and the blood of Jhesu Crist, his sone, clensith vs fro al synne.

8 If we seien, that we han no synne, we disseyuen vs silf, and treuthe is not in vs.

9 If we knowlechen oure synnes, he is feithful and iust, that he foryyue to vs oure synnes, and clense vs from al wickidnesse.

10 And if we seien, we han not synned, we maken hym a liere, and his word is not in vs.

Chapter 2 edit

1 Mi litle sones, Y write to you these thingis, that ye synnen not. But if ony man synneth, we han an aduocat anentis the fadir,

2 Jhesu Crist, and he is the foryyuenes for oure synnes; and not oneli for oure synnes, but also for the synnes of al the world.

3 And in this thing we witen, that we knowen hym, if we kepen hise comaundementis.

4 He that seith that he knowith God, and kepith not hise comaundementis, is a liere, and trewthe is not in hym.

5 But the charite of God is perfit verili in hym, that kepith his word. In this thing we witen, that we ben in hym, if we ben perfit in hym.

6 He that seith, that he dwellith in hym, he owith for to walke, as he walkide.

7 Moost dere britheren, Y write to you, not a newe maundement, but the elde maundement, that ye hadden fro the bigynnyng. The elde maundement is the word, that ye herden.

8 Eftsoone Y write to you a newe maundement, that is trewe bothe in hym and in you; for derknessis ben passid, and veri liyt schyneth now.

9 He that seith, that he is in liyt, and hatith his brother, is in derknesse yit.

10 He that loueth his brothir, dwellith in liyt, and sclaundre is not in hym.

11 But he that hatith his brother, is in derknessis, and wandrith in derknessis, and woot not whidir he goith; for derknessis han blindid hise iyen.

12 Litle sones, Y write to you, that youre synnes ben foryouun to you for his name.

13 Fadris, Y write to you, for ye han knowun hym, that is fro the bigynnyng. Yonge men, Y write to you, for ye han ouercomun the wickid.

14 Y write to you, yonge children, for ye han knowe the fadir. Y write to you, britheren, for ye han knowen hym, that is fro the bigynnyng. Y write to you, yonge men, for ye ben stronge, and the word of God dwellith in you, and ye han ouercomun the wickid.

15 Nyle ye loue the world, ne tho thingis that ben in the world. If ony man loueth the world, the charite of the fader is not in hym.

16 For al thing that is in the world, is coueitise of fleisch, and coueitise of iyen, and pride of lijf, which is not of the fadir, but it is of the world.

17 And the world schal passe, and the coueitise of it; but he that doith the wille of God, dwellith with outen ende.

18 My litle sones, the laste our is; and as ye han herd, that antecrist cometh, now many antecristis ben maad; wherfor we witen, that it is the laste our.

19 Thei wenten forth fro vs, but thei weren not of vs; for if thei hadden be of vs, thei hadden dwelte with vs; but that thei be knowun, that thei ben not of vs.

20 But ye han anointyng of the Hooli Goost, and knowen alle thingis.

21 Y wroot not to you, as to men that knowen not treuthe, but as to men that knowen it, and for ech leesing is not of treuthe.

22 Who is a liere, but this that denyeth that Jhesu is not Crist? This is antecrist, that denyeth the fadir, and the sone.

23 So ech that denyeth the sone, hath not the fadir; but he that knowlechith the sone, hath also the fadir.

24 That thing that ye herden at the bigynnyng, dwelle it in you; for if that thing dwellith in you, which ye herden at the bigynnyng, ye schulen dwelle in the sone and in the fadir.

25 And this is the biheeste, that he bihiyte to vs euerlastinge lijf.

26 Y wroot these thingis to you, of hem that disseyuen you,

27 and that the anoyntyng which ye resseyueden of hym, dwelle in you. And ye han not nede, that ony man teche you, but as his anoyntyng techith you of alle thingis, and it is trewe, and it is not leesyng; and as he tauyte you, dwelle ye in hym.

28 And now, ye litle sones, dwelle ye in hym, that whanne he schal appere, we haue a trist, and be not confoundid of hym in his comyng.

29 If ye witen that he is iust, wite ye that also ech that doith riytwisnesse, is borun of hym.

Chapter 3 edit

1 Se ye what maner charite the fadir yaf to vs, that we be named the sones of God, and ben hise sones. For this thing the world knewe not vs, for it knew not hym.

2 Moost dere britheren, now we ben the sones of God, and yit it apperide not, what we schulen be. We witen, that whanne he schal appere, we schulen be lijk hym, for we schulen se hym as he is.

3 And ech man that hath this hope in hym, makith hym silf hooli, as he is hooli.

4 Ech man that doith synne, doith also wickidnesse, and synne is wickidnesse.

5 And ye witen, that he apperide to do awei synnes, and synne is not in hym.

6 Ech man that dwellith in hym, synneth not; and ech that synneth, seeth not hym, nether knew hym.

7 Litle sones, no man disseyue you; he that doith riytwysnesse, is iust, as also he is iust.

8 He that doith synne, is of the deuel; for the deuel synneth fro the bigynnyng. In this thing the sone of God apperide, that he vndo the werkis of the deuel.

9 Ech man that is borun of God, doith not synne; for the seed of God dwellith in hym, and he may not do synne, for he is borun of God.

10 In this thing the sones of God ben knowun, and the sones of the feend. Ech man that is not iust, is not of God, and he that loueth not his brothir.

11 For this is the tellyng, that ye herden at the bigynnyng, that ye loue ech othere;

12 not as Caym, that was of the yuele, and slouy his brother. And for what thing slouy he him? for hise werkis weren yuele, and hise brotheris iust.

13 Britheren, nyle ye wondre, if the world hatith you.

14 We witen, that we ben translatid fro deeth to lijf, for we louen britheren. He that loueth not, dwellith in deth.

15 Ech man that hatith his brother, is a man sleere; and ye witen, that ech mansleere hath not euerlastinge lijf dwellinge in hym.

16 In this thing we han knowe the charite of God, for he puttide his lijf for vs, and we owen to putte oure lyues for oure britheren.

17 He that hath the catel of this world, and seeth that his brothir hath nede, and closith his entrailis fro hym, hou dwellith the charite of God in hym?

18 Mi litle sones, loue we not in word, nethir in tunge, but in werk and treuthe.

19 In this thing we knowen, that we ben of treuthe, and in his siyt we monesten oure hertis.

20 For if oure herte repreueth vs, God is more than oure hert, and knowith alle thingis.

21 Moost dere britheren, if oure herte repreueth not vs, we han trust to God;

22 and what euer we schulen axe, we schulen resseyue of hym, for we kepen hise comaundementis, and we don tho thingis that ben plesaunt bifor hym.

23 And this is the comaundement of God, that we bileue in the name of his sone Jhesu Crist, and that we loue ech othere, as he yaf heeste to vs.

24 And he that kepith hise comaundementis, dwellith in hym, and he in hym. And in this thing we witen, that he dwellith in vs, bi the spirit, whom he yaf to vs.

Chapter 4 edit

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.

Chapter 5 edit

1 Ech man that bileueth that Jhesus is Crist, is borun of God; and ech man that loueth hym that gendride, loueth hym that is borun of hym.

2 In this thing we knowen, that we louen the children of God, whanne we louen God, and don his maundementis.

3 For this is the charite of God, that we kepe hise maundementis; and his maundementis ben not heuy.

4 For al thing that is borun of God, ouercometh the world; and this is the victorie that ouercometh the world, oure feith.

5 And who is he that ouercometh the world, but he that bileueth that Jhesus is the sone of God?

6 This is Jhesus Crist, that cam bi watir and blood; not in water oonli, but in watir and blood. And the spirit is he that witnessith, that Crist is treuthe.

7 For thre ben, that yyuen witnessing in heuene, the Fadir, the Sone, and the Hooli Goost; and these thre ben oon.

8 `And thre ben, that yyuen witnessing in erthe, the spirit, water, and blood; and these thre ben oon.

9 If we resseyuen the 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.

10 He that bileueth in the sone of God, hath the witnessing of God in hym. He that bileueth not to the sone, makith hym a liere; for he bileueth not in the witnessing, that God witnesside of his sone.

11 And this is the witnessyng, for God yaf to you euerlastinge lijf, and this lijf is in his sone.

12 He that hath the sone of God, hath also lijf; he that hath not the sone of God, hath not lijf.

13 I write to you these thingis, that ye wite, that ye han euerlastynge lijf, which bileuen in the name of Goddis sone.

14 And this is the trist which we han to God, that what euer thing we axen aftir his wille, he schal here vs.

15 And we witen, that he herith vs, what euer thing we axen; we witen, that we han the axyngis, which we axen of hym.

16 He that woot that his brother synneth a synne not to deth, axe he, and lijf schal be youun to hym that synneth not to deth. Ther is a synne to deth; `not for it Y seie, that ony man preie.

17 Ech wickidnesse is synne, and ther is synne to deth.

18 We witen, that ech man that is borun of God, synneth not; but the generacioun of God kepith hym, and the wickid touchith hym not.

19 We witen, that we ben of God, and al the world is set in yuel.

20 And we witen, that the sone of God cam in fleisch, and yaf to vs wit, that we know veri God, and be in the veri sone of hym.

21 This is veri God, and euerlastynge lijf. My litle sones, kepe ye you fro maumetis.