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.
1Oneni basi, jinsi Baba alivyotupenda mno hata tunaitwa watoto wa Mungu! Na kweli, ndivyo tulivyo. Ndiyo maana ulimwengu haututambui sisi, kwani haumjui Mungu.
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.
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.
3Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
3Basi, kila mtu aliye na tumaini hili katika Kristo, hujiweka safi kama vile Kristo alivyo safi kabisa.
4Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.
4Kila mtu atendaye dhambi anavunja sheria ya Mungu, maana dhambi ni uvunjaji wa sheria.
5You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.
5Mnajua kwamba Kristo alikuja kuziondoa dhambi zetu, na kwamba kwake hamna dhambi yoyote.
6Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him, neither knows him.
6Basi, kila aishiye katika muungano na Kristo hatendi dhambi; lakini kila mtu atendaye dhambi hakupata kamwe kumwona, wala kumjua Kristo.
7Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
7Basi, watoto wangu, msikubali kupotoshwa na mtu yeyote. Mtu atendaye matendo maadilifu ni mwadilifu kama vile Kristo alivyo mwadilifu kabisa.
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.
8Lakini atendaye dhambi ni wa Ibilisi, maana Ibilisi ametenda dhambi tangu mwanzo. Lakini Mwana wa Mungu alikuja duniani kuiharibu kazi ya Ibilisi.
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.
9Kila aliye mtoto wa Mungu hatendi dhambi, maana anayo hali ya kimungu ndani yake; hawezi kutenda dhambi kwa sababu yeye ni mtoto wa Mungu.
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.
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.
11For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
11Na, ujumbe mliousikia tangu mwanzo ndio huu: Tunapaswa kupendana!
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.
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!
13Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
13Basi, ndugu zangu, msishangae kama ulimwengu unawachukia ninyi.
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.
14Sisi tunajua kwamba tumekwisha pita kutoka katika kifo na kuingia katika uzima kwa sababu tunawapenda ndugu zetu. Mtu asiye na upendo hubaki katika kifo.
15Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
15Kila anayemchukia ndugu yake ni muuaji; nanyi mnajua kwamba muuaji yeyote yule hana uzima wa milele ndani yake.
16By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
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.
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?
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?
18My little children, let’s not love in word only, neither with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
18Watoto wangu, upendo wetu usiwe maneno matupu, bali uwe upendo wa kweli na wa vitendo.
19And by this we know that we are of the truth, and persuade our hearts before him,
19Hivyo ndivyo tuwezavyo kuwa na hakika kwamba sisi ni watu wa ukweli; na hatutakuwa na wasiwasi mbele ya Mungu.
20because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
20Kwa maana, hata kama dhamiri yetu yatuhukumu, twajua kwamba Mungu ni mkuu zaidi kuliko dhamiri, na kwamba yeye ajua kila kitu.
21Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;
21Wapenzi wangu, kama dhamiri yetu haina lawama juu yetu, basi, twaweza kuwa na uthabiti mbele ya Mungu,
22and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
22na twaweza kupokea kwake chochote tunachoomba, maana tunazitii amri zake na kufanya yale yanayompendeza.
23This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
23Na, amri yake ndiyo hii: Kumwamini Mwanae Kristo, na kupendana kama alivyotuamuru.
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.
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.