First Letter of John 1

¹ Something which has existed since the beginning, that we have heard, and we have seen with our own eyes; that we have watched and touched with our hands: the Word, who is life-this is our subject.

² That life was made visible: we saw it and we are giving our testimony, telling you of the eternal life which was with the Father and has been made visible to us.

³ What we have seen and heard we are telling you so that you too may be in union with us, as we are in union with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

⁴ We are writing this to you to make our own joy complete.

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

⁶ If we say that we are in union with God[*a] while we are living in darkness, we are lying because we are not living the truth.

⁷ But if we live our lives in the light, as he is in the light, we are in union with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

⁸ If we say we have no sin in us; we are deceiving ourselves and refusing to admit the truth;

⁹ but if we acknowledge our sins, then God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and purify us from everything that is wrong.

¹⁰ To say that we have never sinned is to call God a liar and to show that his word is not in us.