1
Wapenzi, msiiamini kila roho, bali zijaribuni hizo roho, kwamba zimetokana na Mungu; kwa sababu manabii wa uongo wengi wametokea duniani.
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.
2
Katika hili mwamjua Roho wa Mungu; kila roho ikiriyo kwamba Yesu Kristo amekuja katika mwili yatokana na Mungu.
By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3
Na kila roho isiyomkiri Yesu haitokani na Mungu. Na hii ndiyo roho ya mpinga Kristo ambayo mmesikia kwamba yaja; na sasa imekwisha kuwako duniani.
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.
4
Ninyi, watoto wadogo, mwatokana na Mungu nanyi mmewashinda, kwa sababu yeye aliye ndani yenu ni mkuu kuliko yeye aliye katika dunia.
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
5
Hao ni wa dunia; kwa hiyo wanena ya dunia na dunia huwasikia
They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.
6
Sisi twatokana na Mungu. Yeye amjuaye Mungu atusikia; yeye asiyetokana na Mungu hatusikii. Katika hili twamjua Roho wa kweli, na roho ya upotevu.
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
7
Wapenzi, na mpendane; kwa kuwa pendo latoka kwa Mungu, na kila apendaye amezaliwa na Mungu, naye anamjua Mungu.
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8
Yeye asiyependa, hakumjua Mungu, kwa maana Mungu ni upendo.
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9
Katika hili pendo la Mungu lilionekana kwetu, kwamba Mungu amemtuma Mwanawe pekee ulimwenguni, ili tupate uzima kwa yeye.
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
10
Hili ndilo pendo, si kwamba sisi tulimpenda Mungu, bali kwamba yeye alitupenda sisi, akamtuma Mwanawe kuwa kipatanisho kwa dhambi zetu.
And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11
Wapenzi ikiwa Mungu alitupenda sisi hivi, imetupasa na sisi kupendana.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12
Hakuna mtu aliyemwona Mungu wakati wo wote. Tukipendana, Mungu hukaa ndani yetu, na pendo lake limekamilika ndani yetu.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13
Katika hili tunafahamu ya kuwa tunakaa ndani yake, naye ndani yetu, kwa kuwa ametushirikisha Roho wake.
By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.
14
Na sisi tumeona na kushuhudia ya kuwa Baba amemtuma Mwana kuwa Mwokozi wa ulimwengu.
And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.
15
Kila akiriye ya kuwa Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu, Mungu hukaa ndani yake, naye ndani ya Mungu.
If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
16
Nasi tumelifahamu pendo alilo nalo Mungu kwetu sisi, na kuliamini. Mungu ni upendo, naye akaaye katika pendo, hukaa ndani ya Mungu, na Mungu hukaa ndani yake.
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
17
Katika hili pendo limekamilishwa kwetu, ili tuwe na ujasiri katika siku ya hukumu; kwa kuwa, kama yeye alivyo, ndivyo tulivyo na sisi ulimwenguni humu.
In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.
18
Katika pendo hamna hofu; lakini pendo lililo kamili huitupa nje hofu, kwa maana hofu ina adhabu; na mwenye hofu hakukamilishwa katika pendo.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.
19
Sisi twapenda kwa maana yeye alitupenda sisi kwanza.
We love because He first loved us.
20
Mtu akisema, Nampenda Mungu, naye anamchukia ndugu yake, ni mwongo; kwa maana asiyempenda ndugu yake ambaye amemwona, hawezi kumpenda Mungu ambaye hakumwona.
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21
Na amri hii tumepewa na yeye, ya kwamba yeye ampendaye Mungu, ampende na ndugu yake.
And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.