Upendo Na Utii

Watoto wangu, ninawaandikieni mambo haya, kusudi msitende dhambi. Lakini kama mtu ye yote akitenda dhambi, tunaye mtetezi wetu kwa Baba, yaani Yesu Kristo mwenye haki. Kristo ndiye sadaka iliyotolewa kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu, na wala si dhambi zetu sisi tu, bali pia dhambi za ulimwengu wote.

Na tunaweza kuwa na hakika kwamba tunamjua Kristo ikiwa tunatii amri zake. Mtu ye yote akisema, “Ninamjua’ Lakini mtu ye yote anayetii neno lake, huyo ndiye ambaye upendo wa Mungu umekamilika ndani yake kwa kweli. Hivi ndivyo tunavy ojua kuwa tumo ndani ya Kristo. Mtu anayesema anadumu ndani ya Kristo anapaswa kuishi kama Yesu Kristo mwenyewe alivyoishi.

Wapendwa, siwaandikii amri mpya bali amri ile ambayo mme kuwa nayo tangu mwanzo. Amri hii ya zamani ni lile neno mlilok wisha kusikia. Lakini hata hivyo amri hii ninayowaandikieni ni mpya; ambayo ukweli wake unaonekana kwake na kwenu, kwa sababu giza linatoweka na nuru ya kweli imekwishaanza kuangaza. Mtu anayesema kwamba anaishi nuruni, naye anamchukia ndugu yake, bado yumo gizani. 10 Anayempenda ndugu yake anaishi katika nuru na wala hana kitu cha kumfanya ajikwae. 11 Lakini anayemchukia ndugu yake anaishi gizani na anatembea gizani, wala hajui aen dako, kwa sababu giza limempofusha macho.

Kwa Watoto, Baba Na Vijana

12 Ninawaandikieni ninyi watoto, kwa sababu mmesamehewa dhambi zenu, kwa ajili ya jina lake. 13 Ninawaandikieni ninyi akina baba, kwa sababu mmemjua yeye aliyekuwapo tangu mwanzo. Ninawaandikieni ninyi vijana, kwa sababu mmemshinda yule mwovu. Ninawandikieni ninyi watoto, kwa kuwa mmemjua Baba. 14 Ninawaan dikieni ninyi akina baba, kwa kuwa mmemjua yeye aliyekuwapo tangu mwanzo. Ninawaandikieni ninyi vijana kwa sababu mna nguvu na neno la Mungu linakaa ndani yenu, nanyi mmemshinda yule mwovu.

Msipende Dunia

15 Msiipende dunia wala mambo yaliyomo duniani. Kama mtu akiipenda dunia, hawezi kumpenda Baba. 16 Maana vitu vyote vil ivyomo duniani, yaani, tamaa za mwili, tamaa ya vitu vinavyoone kana kwa macho, na kiburi kiletwacho na mali, vyote hivi havitoki kwa Baba bali hutoka ulimwenguni. 17 Nayo dunia inapita na tamaa zake zote zinapita, lakini mtu anayetimiza mapenzi ya Mungu huishi milele.

Onyo Kuhusu Adui Wa Kristo

18 Watoto wapendwa, huu ni wakati wa mwisho. Na kama mlivy okwisha kusikia kwamba yule mpinga-Kristo anakuja, hata sasa wapinga-Kristo wengi wamekwisha kuja. Kwa hiyo tunajua kuwa huu ni wakati wa mwisho. 19 Watu hao walitoka kati yetu, lakini hawakuwa wa kundi letu. Kama wangekuwa wa kundi letu, wangeende lea kuishi pamoja nasi; lakini waliondoka ili iwe wazi kuwa hakuna hata mmoja wao aliyekuwa wa kundi letu.

20 Lakini ninyi mmemiminiwa Roho Mtakatifu na nyote mnaijua kweli. 21 Siwaandikii hivi kwa kuwa hamuijui kweli bali kwa sababu mnaijua na kwa kuwa hakuna uongo utokao katika kweli. 22 Je, mwongo ni nani? Mwongo ni yule anayekana kwamba Yesu si Kristo. Mtu huyo ndiye mpinga-Kristo, anayemkana Baba na Mwana. 23 Mtu anayemkana Mwana hawezi kumjua Baba; mtu anayemkiri Mwana anamjua na Baba pia.

24 Hakikisheni kwamba ujumbe mliosikia tangu mwanzo unadumu mioyoni mwenu. Ujumbe huo ukikaa mioyoni mwenu, ninyi pia mtadumu ndani ya Mwana na ndani ya Baba. 25 Na yeye ametuahidi uzima wa milele.

26 Ninawaandikia mambo haya kuhusu wale wanaojaribu kuwapo tosha. 27 Lakini yule Roho Mtakatifu mliyempokea anakaa ndani yenu wala hamhitaji mtu kuwafundisha. Lakini kama vile huyo Roho Mtakatifu anavyowafundisha mambo yote, naye ni wa kweli wala si wa uongo; kama alivyowafundisha, dumuni ndani yake.

Watoto Wa Mungu

28 Na sasa, wanangu, kaeni siku zote ndani yake, kusudi ata kapotokea tuwe na ujasiri na wala tusijitenge naye kwa kuona aibu atakapokuja.

29 Kama mnajua kwamba yeye ni wa haki, basi mnajua kwamba kila atendaye haki amezaliwa naye.

My dear children,(A) I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate(B) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,(C) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.(D)

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

We know(E) that we have come to know him(F) if we keep his commands.(G) Whoever says, “I know him,”(H) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.(I) But if anyone obeys his word,(J) love for God[a] is truly made complete in them.(K) This is how we know(L) we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.(M)

Dear friends,(N) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.(O) This old command is the message you have heard. Yet I am writing you a new command;(P) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing(Q) and the true light(R) is already shining.(S)

Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[b](T) is still in the darkness.(U) 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[c] lives in the light,(V) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.(W) 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister(X) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.(Y) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.(Z)

Reasons for Writing

12 I am writing to you, dear children,(AA)
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.(AB)
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(AC)
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome(AD) the evil one.(AE)

14 I write to you, dear children,(AF)
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(AG)
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,(AH)
    and the word of God(AI) lives in you,(AJ)
    and you have overcome the evil one.(AK)

On Not Loving the World

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.(AL) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[d] is not in them.(AM) 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,(AN) the lust of the eyes,(AO) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away,(AP) but whoever does the will of God(AQ) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour;(AR) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,(AS) even now many antichrists have come.(AT) This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us,(AU) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.(AV)

20 But you have an anointing(AW) from the Holy One,(AX) and all of you know the truth.[e](AY) 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it(AZ) and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.(BA) 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.(BB)

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning(BC) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.(BD) 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.(BE)

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.(BF) 27 As for you, the anointing(BG) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things(BH) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.(BI)

God’s Children and Sin

28 And now, dear children,(BJ) continue in him, so that when he appears(BK) we may be confident(BL) and unashamed before him at his coming.(BM)

29 If you know that he is righteous,(BN) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.(BO)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 2:5 Or word, God’s love
  2. 1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.
  3. 1 John 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21.
  4. 1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
  5. 1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things