1 John 4
1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Wapendwa, msiamini kila roho, bali zijaribuni hizo roho mwone kama zimetoka kwa Mungu, kwa sababu manabii wengi wa uongo wametokea ulimwenguni.
2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
Hivi ndivyo mnavyoweza kutambua Roho wa Mungu: Kila roho inayokubali kwamba Yesu Kristo amekuja katika mwili yatoka kwa Mungu.
3 and every spirit who does not confess Jesus is not of God; and this is that of the antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already.
Lakini kila roho ambayo haimkubali Yesu haitoki kwa Mungu. Hii ndiyo roho ya mpinga Kristo, ambayo mmesikia kwamba inakuja na sasa tayari iko ulimwenguni.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world.
Watoto wapendwa, ninyi mmetokana na Mungu, nanyi mmewashinda kwa sababu yeye aliye ndani yenu ni mkuu kuliko yeye aliye katika ulimwengu.
5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them.
Wao wanatokana na ulimwengu na kwa hiyo hunena yaliyo ya ulimwengu, hivyo ulimwengu huwasikiliza.
6 We are of God. He who knows God listens to us. He who is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Sisi twatokana na Mungu na yeyote anayemjua Mungu hutusikiliza, lakini asiyetokana na Mungu hatusikilizi. Hivi ndivyo tunavyoweza kutambua Roho wa Kweli na roho ya upotovu.
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God, and knows God.
Wapendwa, tupendane, kwa kuwa pendo latoka kwa Mungu. Kila apendaye amezaliwa na Mungu, naye anamjua Mungu.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Yeye asiyependa hamjui Mungu, kwa sababu Mungu ni pendo.
9 By this God's love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
Hivi ndivyo Mungu alivyoonyesha pendo lake kwetu: Mungu alimtuma Mwanawe wa pekee ulimwenguni, ili tupate uzima kupitia kwake.
10 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Hili ndilo pendo: si kwamba tulimpenda Mungu, bali yeye alitupenda, akamtuma Mwanawe, ili yeye awe dhabihu ya upatanisho kwa ajili ya dhambi zetu.
11 Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
Marafiki wapendwa, kama Mungu alivyotupenda sisi, imetupasa na sisi kupendana.
12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyemwona Mungu wakati wowote. Lakini tukipendana, Mungu anakaa ndani yetu, na pendo lake limekamilika ndani yetu.
13 By this we know that we remain in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Tunajua kwamba twakaa ndani yake na yeye ndani yetu, kwa sababu ametupa sisi sehemu ya Roho wake.
14 We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as the Savior of the world.
Nasi tumeona na kushuhudia kwamba Baba amemtuma Mwanawe ili awe Mwokozi wa ulimwengu.
15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
Kila akiriye kwamba Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu, basi Mungu hukaa ndani yake, naye ndani ya Mungu.
16 We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
Hivyo nasi twajua na kulitumainia pendo la Mungu alilo nalo kwa ajili yetu. Mungu ni Upendo. Kila akaaye katika upendo hukaa ndani ya Mungu na Mungu hukaa ndani yake.
17 In this love has been made perfect among us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world.
Kwa njia hii, pendo hukamilishwa miongoni mwetu ili tupate kuwa na ujasiri katika siku ya hukumu, kwa sababu kama alivyo ndivyo tulivyo sisi katika ulimwengu huu.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
Katika pendo hakuna hofu. Lakini pendo lililo kamili huitupa nje hofu, kwa sababu hofu inahusika na adhabu. Kila mwenye hofu hakukamilika katika pendo.
19 We love, because he first loved us.
Twampenda yeye kwa sababu yeye alitupenda kwanza.
20 If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
Ikiwa mtu atasema, “Nampenda Mungu,” lakini anamchukia ndugu yake, yeye ni mwongo. Kwa maana kila mtu asiyempenda ndugu yake ambaye anamwona, atampendaje Mungu asiyemuona?
21 This commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.
Naye ametupa amri hii: Yeyote anayempenda Mungu lazima pia ampende ndugu yake.
