1
Tazameni, ni pendo la namna gani alilotupa Baba, kwamba tuitwe wana wa Mungu; na ndivyo tulivyo. Kwa sababu hii ulimwengu haututambui, kwa kuwa haukumtambua yeye.
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
2
Wapenzi, sasa tu wana wa Mungu, wala haijadhihirika bado tutakavyokuwa; lakini twajua ya kuwa atakapodhihirishwa, tutafanana naye; kwa maana tutamwona kama alivyo.
Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.
3
Na kila mwenye matumaini haya katika yeye hujitakasa, kama yeye alivyo mtakatifu.
And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.
4
Kila atendaye dhambi, afanya uasi; kwa kuwa dhambi ni uasi.
Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.
5
Nanyi mnajua ya kuwa yeye alidhihirishwa, ili aziondoe dhambi; na dhambi haimo ndani yake.
But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.
6
Kila akaaye ndani yake hatendi dhambi; kila atendaye dhambi hakumwona yeye, wala hakumtambua.
No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
7
Watoto wadogo, mtu na asiwadanganye; atendaye haki yuna haki, kama yeye alivyo na haki;
Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
8
atendaye dhambi ni wa Ibilisi; kwa kuwa Ibilisi hutenda dhambi tangu mwanzo. Kwa kusudi hili Mwana wa Mungu alidhihirishwa, ili azivunje kazi za Ibilisi.
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
9
Kila mtu aliyezaliwa na Mungu hatendi dhambi, kwa sababu uzao wake wakaa ndani yake; wala hawezi kutenda dhambi kwa sababu amezaliwa kutokana na Mungu.
Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
10
Katika hili watoto wa Mungu ni dhahiri, na watoto wa Ibilisi nao. Mtu ye yote asiyetenda haki hatokani na Mungu, wala yeye asiyempenda ndugu yake.
By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.
11
Maana, hii ndiyo habari mliyoisikia tangu mwanzo, kwamba tupendane sisi kwa sisi;
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12
si kama Kaini alivyokuwa wa yule mwovu, akamwua ndugu yake. Naye alimwua kwa sababu gani? Kwa sababu matendo yake yalikuwa mabaya, na ya ndugu yake yalikuwa ya haki.
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
13
Ndugu zangu, msistaajabu, ulimwengu ukiwachukia.
So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.
14
Sisi tunajua ya kuwa tumepita toka mautini kuingia uzimani, kwa maana twawapenda ndugu. Yeye asiyependa, akaa katika mauti.
We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
15
Kila amchukiaye ndugu yake ni mwuaji: nanyi mnajua ya kuwa kila mwuaji hana uzima wa milele ukikaa ndani yake.
Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.
16
Katika hili tumelifahamu pendo, kwa kuwa yeye aliutoa uhai wake kwa ajili yetu; imetupasa na sisi kuutoa uhai wetu kwa ajili ya hao ndugu.
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17
Lakini mtu akiwa na riziki ya dunia, kisha akamwona ndugu yake ni mhitaji, akamzuilia huruma zake, je! Upendo wa Mungu wakaaje ndani yake huyo?
If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
18
Watoto wadogo, tusipende kwa neno, wala kwa ulimi, bali kwa tendo na kweli.
Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.
19
Katika hili tutafahamu ya kwamba tu wa kweli, nasi tutaituliza mioyo yetu mbele zake,
And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:
20
ikiwa mioyo yetu inatuhukumu; kwa maana Mungu ni mkuu kuliko mioyo yetu naye anajua yote.
Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.
21
Wapenzi, mioyo yetu isipotuhukumu, tuna ujasiri kwa Mungu;
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,
22
na lo lote tuombalo, twalipokea kwake, kwa kuwa twazishika amri zake, na kuyatenda yapendezayo machoni pake.
and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.
23
Na hii ndiyo amri yake, kwamba tuliamini jina la Mwana wake Yesu Kristo, na kupendana sisi kwa sisi, kama alivyotupa amri.
And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.
24
Naye azishikaye amri zake hukaa ndani yake yeye naye ndani yake. Na katika hili tunajua ya kuwa anakaa ndani yetu, kwa huyo Roho aliyetupa.
Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.