1
Watoto wangu wadogo, nawaandikia haya ili kwamba msitende dhambi. Na kama mtu akitenda dhambi tunaye Mwombezi kwa Baba, Yesu Kristo mwenye haki,
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2
naye ndiye kipatanisho kwa dhambi zetu; wala si kwa dhambi zetu tu, bali na kwa dhambi za ulimwengu wote.
He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3
Na katika hili twajua ya kuwa tumemjua yeye, ikiwa tunashika amri zake.
By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.
4
Yeye asemaye, Nimemjua, wala hazishiki amri zake, ni mwongo, wala kweli haimo ndani yake.
If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5
Lakini yeye alishikaye neno lake, katika huyo upendo wa Mungu umekamilika kweli kweli. Katika hili twajua ya kuwa tumo ndani yake.
But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:
6
Yeye asemaye ya kuwa anakaa ndani yake, imempasa kuenenda mwenyewe vile vile kama yeye alivyoenenda.
Whoever claims to abide in Him must walk as Jesus walked.
7
Wapenzi, siwaandikii amri mpya, ila amri ya zamani mliyokuwa nayo tangu mwanzo. Na hiyo amri ya zamani ni neno lile mlilolisikia.
Beloved, I am not writing to you a new commandment, but an old one, which you have had from the beginning. This commandment is the message you have heard.
8
Tena nawaandikia amri mpya, neno lililo kweli ndani yake na ndani yenu; kwa kuwa giza linapita na ile nuru ya kweli imekwisha kung'aa.
Then again, I am also writing to you a new commandment, which is true in Him and also in you. For the darkness is fading and the true light is already shining.
9
Yeye asemaye kwamba yumo nuruni, naye amchukia ndugu yake, yumo gizani hata sasa.
If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
10
Yeye ampendaye ndugu yake, akaa katika nuru, wala ndani yake hamna kikwazo.
Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.
11
Bali yeye amchukiaye ndugu yake, yu katika giza, tena anakwenda katika giza, wala hajui aendako, kwa sababu giza imempofusha macho.
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness. He does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12
Nawaandikia ninyi, watoto wadogo, kwa sababu mmesamehewa dhambi zenu, kwa ajili ya jina lake.
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven through His name.
13
Nawaandikia ninyi, akina baba, kwa sababu mmemjua yeye aliye tangu mwanzo. Nawaandikia ninyi, vijana, kwa sababu mmemshinda yule mwovu. Nimewaandikia ninyi, watoto, kwa sababu mmemjua Baba.
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14
Nimewaandikia ninyi, akina baba, kwa sababu mmemjua yeye aliye tangu mwanzo. Nimewaandikia ninyi, vijana, kwa sababu mna nguvu, na neno la Mungu linakaa ndani yenu, nanyi mmemshinda yule mwovu.
I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15
Msiipende dunia, wala mambo yaliyomo katika dunia. Mtu akiipenda dunia, kumpenda Baba hakumo ndani yake.
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16
Maana kila kilichomo duniani, yaani, tamaa ya mwili, na tamaa ya macho, na kiburi cha uzima, havitokani na Baba, bali vyatokana na dunia.
For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.
17
Na dunia inapita, pamoja na tamaa zake, bali yeye afanyaye mapenzi ya Mungu adumu hata milele.
The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
18
Watoto, ni wakati wa mwisho; na kama vile mlivyosikia kwamba mpinga Kristo yuaja, hata sasa wapinga Kristo wengi wamekwisha kuwapo. Kwa sababu hiyo twajua ya kuwa ni wakati wa mwisho.
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.
19
Walitoka kwetu, lakini hawakuwa wa kwetu. Maana kama wangalikuwa wa kwetu, wangalikaa pamoja nasi. Lakini walitoka ili wafunuliwe kwamba si wote walio wa kwetu.
They went out from us, but they did not belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But their departure made it clear that none of them belonged to us.
20
Nanyi mmepakwa mafuta na Yeye aliye Mtakatifu nanyi mnajua nyote.
You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
21
Sikuwaandikia ninyi kwa sababu hamwijui iliyo kweli, bali kwa sababu mwaijua, tena kwamba hapana uongo wo wote utokao katika hiyo kweli.
I have not written to you because you lack knowledge of the truth, but because you have it, and because no lie comes from the truth.
22
Ni nani aliye mwongo ila yeye akanaye ya kuwa Yesu ni Kristo? Huyo ndiye mpinga Kristo, yeye amkanaye Baba na Mwana.
Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son.
23
Kila amkanaye Mwana, hanaye Baba; amkiriye Mwana anaye Baba pia.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father, but whoever confesses the Son has the Father as well.
24
Ninyi basi, hilo mlilolisikia tangu mwanzo na likae ndani yenu. Ikiwa hilo mlilolisikia tangu mwanzo linakaa ndani yenu, ninyi nanyi mtakaa ndani ya Mwana, na ndani ya Baba.
As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning remain in you. If it does, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
25
Na hii ndiyo ahadi aliyotuahidia, yaani, uzima wa milele.
And this is the promise that He Himself made to us: eternal life.
26
Nimewaandikia haya katika habari za watu wale wanaotaka kuwapoteza.
I have written these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
27
Nanyi, mafuta yale mliyoyapata kwake yanakaa ndani yenu, wala hamna haja ya mtu kuwafundisha; lakini kama mafuta yake yanavyowafundisha habari za mambo yote, tena ni kweli wala si uongo, na kama yalivyowafundisha, kaeni ndani yake.
And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
28
Na sasa, watoto wadogo, kaeni ndani yake, ili kusudi, atakapofunuliwa, mwe na ujasiri, wala msiaibike mbele zake katika kuja kwake.
And now, little children, remain in Christ, so that when He appears, we may be confident and unashamed before Him at His coming.
29
Kama mkijua ya kuwa yeye ni mwenye haki, jueni ya kuwa kila atendaye haki amezaliwa na yeye.
If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.