1Oneni basi, jinsi Baba alivyotupenda mno hata tunaitwa watoto wa Mungu! Na kweli, ndivyo tulivyo. Ndiyo maana ulimwengu haututambui sisi, kwani haumjui Mungu.
1Behold, how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.
2Wapenzi wangu, sisi ni watoto wa Mungu sasa, lakini bado haijaonekana wazi jinsi tutakavyokuwa. Lakini tunajua kwamba wakati Kristo atakapotokea, tutafanana naye kwani tutamwona vile alivyo.
2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
3Basi, kila mtu aliye na tumaini hili katika Kristo, hujiweka safi kama vile Kristo alivyo safi kabisa.
3Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
4Kila mtu atendaye dhambi anavunja sheria ya Mungu, maana dhambi ni uvunjaji wa sheria.
4Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.
5Mnajua kwamba Kristo alikuja kuziondoa dhambi zetu, na kwamba kwake hamna dhambi yoyote.
5You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.
6Basi, kila aishiye katika muungano na Kristo hatendi dhambi; lakini kila mtu atendaye dhambi hakupata kamwe kumwona, wala kumjua Kristo.
6Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him, neither knows him.
7Basi, watoto wangu, msikubali kupotoshwa na mtu yeyote. Mtu atendaye matendo maadilifu ni mwadilifu kama vile Kristo alivyo mwadilifu kabisa.
7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8Lakini atendaye dhambi ni wa Ibilisi, maana Ibilisi ametenda dhambi tangu mwanzo. Lakini Mwana wa Mungu alikuja duniani kuiharibu kazi ya Ibilisi.
8He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9Kila aliye mtoto wa Mungu hatendi dhambi, maana anayo hali ya kimungu ndani yake; hawezi kutenda dhambi kwa sababu yeye ni mtoto wa Mungu.
9Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.
10Lakini yeyote asiyetenda mambo maadilifu, au asiyempenda ndugu yake, huyo si mtoto wa Mungu. Hiyo ndiyo tofauti iliyoko kati ya watoto wa Mungu na watoto wa Ibilisi.
10In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.
11Na, ujumbe mliousikia tangu mwanzo ndio huu: Tunapaswa kupendana!
11For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
12Tusiwe kama Kaini ambaye, kwa kuongozwa na yule Mwovu, alimuua ndugu yake. Na, kwa nini alimuua? Kwa sababu matendo yake yalikuwa maovu, lakini yale ya ndugu yake yalikuwa mema!
12unlike Cain, who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
13Basi, ndugu zangu, msishangae kama ulimwengu unawachukia ninyi.
13Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14Sisi tunajua kwamba tumekwisha pita kutoka katika kifo na kuingia katika uzima kwa sababu tunawapenda ndugu zetu. Mtu asiye na upendo hubaki katika kifo.
14We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.
15Kila anayemchukia ndugu yake ni muuaji; nanyi mnajua kwamba muuaji yeyote yule hana uzima wa milele ndani yake.
15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
16Sisi tumepata kujua upendo ni nini, kwani Kristo aliyatoa maisha yake kwa ajili yetu. Nasi vilevile tunapaswa kuyatoa maisha yetu kwa ajili ya ndugu zetu.
16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
17Basi, mtu akiwa na mali za hapa duniani, halafu akamwona ndugu yake ana shida, lakini akawa na moyo mgumu bila kumwonea huruma, anawezaje kusema kwamba anampenda Mungu?
17But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and closes his heart of compassion against him, how does the love of God remain in him?
18Watoto wangu, upendo wetu usiwe maneno matupu, bali uwe upendo wa kweli na wa vitendo.
18My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
19Hivyo ndivyo tuwezavyo kuwa na hakika kwamba sisi ni watu wa ukweli; na hatutakuwa na wasiwasi mbele ya Mungu.
19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,
20Kwa maana, hata kama dhamiri yetu yatuhukumu, twajua kwamba Mungu ni mkuu zaidi kuliko dhamiri, na kwamba yeye ajua kila kitu.
20because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
21Wapenzi wangu, kama dhamiri yetu haina lawama juu yetu, basi, twaweza kuwa na uthabiti mbele ya Mungu,
21Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;
22na twaweza kupokea kwake chochote tunachoomba, maana tunazitii amri zake na kufanya yale yanayompendeza.
22and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
23Na, amri yake ndiyo hii: Kumwamini Mwanae Kristo, na kupendana kama alivyotuamuru.
23This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
24Anayezitii amri za Mungu anaishi katika muungano na Mungu na Mungu anaishi katika muungano naye. Kwa njia ya Roho ambaye Mungu ametujalia, sisi twajua kwamba Mungu anaishi katika muungano nasi.
24He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.