11 translations · Greek
1 John 4:1
Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1 in 11 translations
- WEB World English Bible
- Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- KJV King James Version
- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
- BSB Berean Standard Bible
- Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- ASV American Standard Version
- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
- LSV Literal Standard Version
- Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits, if they are of God, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
- FBV Free Bible Version
- Dear friends, don't trust every spirit, but put the spirits to the test to find out whether they're from God, for there are many false prophets out there in the world.
- YLT Young’s Literal Translation
- Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;
- DBY Darby Translation
- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, if they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
- WBT Webster’s Bible
- Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- WEBC World English Bible (Catholic)
- Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- DRA Douay-Rheims 1899
- Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
The Greek words
Each word of the Greek text in order, with its transliteration, the Berean Standard Bible’s English for it, and its Strong’s number and short definition.
| Word | Transliteration | English (BSB) | Strong’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀγαπητοί | Agapētoi | Beloved | G27 ἀγαπητός beloved |
| μὴ | mē | — | G3361 μή not |
| παντὶ | panti | every | G3956 πᾶς all |
| πνεύματι | pneumati | spirit | G4151 πνεῦμα spirit/breath: spirit |
| πιστεύετε | pisteuete | do not believe | G4100 πιστεύω to trust (in) |
| ἀλλὰ | alla | but | G235 ἀλλά but |
| δοκιμάζετε | dokimazete | test | G1381 δοκιμάζω to test |
| τὰ | ta | the | G3588 ὁ the/this/who |
| πνεύματα | pneumata | spirits | G4151 πνεῦμα spirit/breath: spirit |
| εἰ | ei | [to see] whether | G1487 εἰ if |
| ἐκ | ek | from | G1537 ἐκ out from |
| τοῦ | tou | — | G3588 ὁ the/this/who |
| Θεοῦ | Theou | God | G2316 θεός God |
| ἐστιν | estin | they are | G1510 εἰμί to be |
| ὅτι | hoti | For | G3754 ὅτι that/since: that |
| πολλοὶ | polloi | many | G4183 πολύς much |
| ψευδοπροφῆται | pseudoprophētai | false prophets | G5578 ψευδοπροφήτης false prophet |
| ἐξεληλύθασιν | exelēlythasin | have gone out | G1831 ἐξέρχομαι to go out |
| εἰς | eis | into | G1519 εἰς toward |
| τὸν | ton | the | G3588 ὁ the/this/who |
| κόσμον | kosmon | world | G2889 κόσμος world |
Related verses
- 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good.
- 2 Peter 2:1
But false prophets also arose among the people, as false teachers will also be among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, denying even the Master who bought them, bringing on themselves swift destruction.
- 1 Timothy 4:1
But the Spirit says expressly that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,
- Proverbs 14:15
A simple man believes everything, but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.
- 2 John 1:7
For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
- Matthew 24:4–5
Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray.
- Jeremiah 29:8–9
For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says: “Don’t let your prophets who are among you and your diviners deceive you. Don’t listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in my name. I have not sent them,” says Yahweh.
- Matthew 7:15–16
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
- 1 Corinthians 14:29
Let the prophets speak, two or three, and let the others discern.
- 1 John 2:18
Little children, these are the end times, and as you heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen. By this we know that it is the final hour.
Cross references from OpenBible.info, CC BY 4.0, most-voted first; text from the World English Bible.
In context
1 Beloved, don’t believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
3 and every spirit who doesn’t confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
Read all of 1 John 4 in the World English Bible.
Edition and source notes
Each translation is shown as its source prints it, in its own verse numbering; where an edition numbers this verse differently, its own reference is given. The World English Bible, King James Version and Berean Standard Bible link to their chapter pages. Edition notes.
Literal Standard Version (2020) © Covenant Press and the Covenant Christian Coalition, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license. Free Bible Version (2018) © Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license.
The original words and their English come from the Berean Standard Bible translation tables (public domain); lemmas and short definitions from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0), with Greek definitions based on Abbott-Smith.
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