¹That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld and which our hands felt, concerning the word of life ²– for the life was made manifest, and we have seen and we testify and proclaim the age-abiding life to you which was with the father and was made manifest to us – ³that which we have seen and heard we proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us. Moreover our fellowship is with the father and with his son Jesus Christ. ⁴And we write these things to you in order that our joy may be complete. ⁵And this is the message which we have heard from him and report back to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with him but we walk in darkness, we are lying and not reflecting the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just in forgiving us our sins and in cleansing us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.