A fourteenth century English Biblical version, edited by Anna C. Paues ...

My [C ^m iv ^m in the margin, S.] dereste breþeren, ne leue ȝe noȝt euerych spiryt [spiryt repeated in the margin, 1st corr. S.] , bote prefeþ þe spirytes, wheþer þei ben of God: for many false prophetes beþ y-gon in-to þe worlde. [verse 2] In þis þe spiryt of God is y-knowe: euerych spiryt þat knowlecheþ þat Iesu Crist [verse 3] come [om. P.] into flesch he is of God: & euerych spiryt þat vndoþ Crist ne is noȝt of God: & þis is Antecrist, of [P folio 31b] whom ȝe han [verse 4] y-herd þat he schal come; & now he is in þe world. Bote my smale chyldren, ȝe beþ of God, & ȝe han ouercome hym: for he þat is in ȝow is gretter þan he þat is in þe world. [verse 5] Þei beþ of þis worlde, & þerfore þei spekeþ of þe [an e in the margin, S.] world, & þe world y-hereþ hem. [verse 6] Bote we beþ of God: & who þat knoweþ God y-hereþ ous; & who þat is noȝt of God he ne hereþ ous noȝt. In þis we han y-knowe þe spiryt of trewþe, & þe spiryt of errour. [verse 7] My dereste breþeren, loue we to-gydere: for charyte is of God; & euerych man þat loueþ is y-boren of God, & knoweþ God. [verse 8] Þilke þat loueþ noȝt ne knoweþ noȝt God; for God is charyte. [verse 9] In þis appered þe charyte of God in ous: for God sende his one [owne P.] bygeten sone in-to þis world, þat we lyfen by hym. [verse 10] In þis is charyte, noȝt as þouȝ we haden y-loued God, bote for he loued ous furst, & sende his s[o]ne to ben forȝeuenesse of oure [S folio 27b] synnes. [verse 11] My dereste breþeren, ȝef God loued ous, þanne moten we louen to|gydere. [verse 12] No man haþ y-sey God: ȝef we loueþ to-gydere, God is in ous, & þe charyte of God is parfyt in ous. [verse 13] In þis we knoweþ þat we dwelleþ in hym, for he haþ y-ȝeuen ous of [verse 14] his Spyryt; & we han y-seyn & bereþ wytnesse, þat þe Fader haþ y-send his sone Sauyour of þe world. [verse 15] Who-euere þat knowlecheþ þat [P folio 32] Iesu is Goddes sone, God dwelleþ in hym, & he in God. [verse 16] And we han y-knowe & byleueþ þe charite þat God haþ in ous. God is charite; & who þat duelleþ in charyte dwelleþ in God, & God in hym. [verse 17] In þis is charite parfyt in ous, þat we han trust in þe day of dome; for ryȝt as he is we beþ in þis world. [verse 18] Drede ne is noȝt in charyte: bote parfyt

charyte putteþ awey drede, for drede haþ peyne; & he þat dredeþ ne is noȝt parfyt in charite. [verse 19] And we loueþ God, for he loued [loueþ P.] ous raþer. [verse 20] Ȝef eny man seiþ, þat he loueþ God, & hateþ his broþer, he is a lyere: for he þat loueþ noȝt his broþer þat he seþ, how may he [he in the margin, S.] loue God þat he seþ noȝt? [verse 21] & þis [þes P.] comaundement we han of God, þat he þat loueþ God loue also his broþer.