11 For ^tthis is the message ^uthat you have heard from the beginning, that we should ^vlove one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and ^wmurdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s ^xrighteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,¹ that the world ^yhates you. 14 We know that we have ^zpassed out of death into life, ^abecause we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 ^bEveryone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 ^cBy this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But ^dif anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide ^ein him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are ^fof the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and ^gwhatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and ^hdo what pleases him. 23 And ⁱthis is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and ^jlove one another, just as he has commanded us.