Chapter 1

¹It is what existed from the beginning, that we announce; what we have heard, what we have seen with our own eyes, what we have beheld, and touched with our hands; it is the very message of life— ²for life has been revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it and announce to you that eternal life that was with the Father and has been revealed to us— ³it is what we have seen and heard that we announce to you also, so that you may share our fellowship, for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, ⁴and we write this to you to make your happiness complete.

⁵This is the message that we heard from him and announce to you: God is light; there is no darkness in him at all.

⁶If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet live in darkness, we are lying and not living the truth. ⁷But if we live in the light, just as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from every sin. ⁸If we say, “We are without any sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and there is no truth in our hearts. ⁹If we acknowledge our sins, he is upright and can be depended on to forgive our sins and cleanse us from everything wrong. ¹⁰If we say, “We have not sinned,” we are making him a liar, and his message is not in our hearts.