Yohanes 1 5
1 Ame sia ame si xɔe se be Yesue nye Kristo la la, wodzii tso Mawu me, eye ame sia ame si lɔ̃a Fofo la la, lɔ̃a Via hã.
All those who believe that Jesus is the (Messiah/person God sent [to rescue us]) are ones who [have truly] become children of God. And everyone who loves [a man who is] someone’s father will [be expected to] love that man’s children as well. [Similarly, those who love God, who has caused them to become his children] [MET], [should love their fellow believers, whom God has also caused to become his children].
2 Esiae nye ale si míenyana be míelɔ̃a Mawu Viwo: to Mawu lɔlɔ̃ kple eƒe seawo dzi wɔwɔ me.
The way we can be sure that we [truly] love God’s children is this: We are loving them when we love God and do what he commands [us to do].
3 Esiae nye lɔlɔ̃ na Mawu: be woawɔ eƒe seawo dzi, elabena eƒe sewo mesesẽ o.
[I say this] because our obeying what God commands [us to do] is [the same as] loving him. And it is not burdensome/difficult for [us to do] what God commands [us to do].
4 Elabena ame si wodzi le Mawu me la ɖu xexea me dzi. Míaƒe xɔsee nye nu si ɖu xexea me dzi.
All of us whom God has caused to become his children have been able to successfully resist (doing what/conducting our lives like) the people [MTY] [who] oppose God do. It is [only] by our trusting [in Christ] that we are able to (resist doing what/conducting our lives like) people in the world who are opposed to God [MTY] do.
5 Ame kae nye ame si ɖu xexea me dzi? Ame si xɔe se be Yesue nye Mawu Vi la koe.
([I will tell you] who are the ones who are able to resist doing what the people who are opposed to God do./Do you know who are the ones who are able to resist conducting their lives like the people who are opposed to God [MTY] do? [RHQ]) It is those who believe that Jesus is (God’s Son/the man who is also God).
6 Yesu Kristoe nye ame si va to tsi kple ʋu me. Meva to tsi me ɖeɖe ko o, ke boŋ to tsi kple ʋu me. Eye Gbɔgbɔ lae le ɖase ɖim le nu sia ŋu, elabena Gbɔgbɔ lae nye nyateƒe la.
[Think about] Jesus Christ. He is the one who came [to earth from God]. [God showed that he had truly sent Jesus when Jesus was baptized] in water [MTY] and [when Jesus’] blood [flowed from his body when he died]. [God showed this] not only [when Jesus was baptized] [MTY], but also when Jesus’ blood flowed [from his body when he died]. And [God’s] Spirit declares [truthfully that Jesus Christ came from God]. The Spirit always [speaks what] is true.
7 Ame etɔ̃e li, ame siwo le ɖase ɖim le dziƒo: Fofo la, Nya la kple Gbɔgbɔ kɔkɔe la, eye ame etɔ̃ siawo le ɖeka.
There are three [ways] by which we know [that Christ came from God].
8 Eye ame etɔ̃ siawo le ɖase ɖim le anyigba dzi, woawoe nye Gbɔgbɔ la, Tsi la kple Ʋu la, eye wo katã ƒe ɖaseɖiɖi le ɖeka.
[Those three ways are: What God’s] Spirit [tells us, what God said when Jesus was baptized] [MTY] [in/with] water, and [Jesus’] blood [that flowed from his body when he died on the cross]. These three things all tell us the same thing, [that Jesus came from God].
9 Míexɔa amegbetɔwo ƒe ɖaseɖiɖiwo, ke Mawu ƒe ɖase si wòɖi le Via ŋu la de ŋgɔ sãa wu esiawo.
We [usually] believe what [other] people say. But what God says is more [reliable/trustworthy than what people say]. So [we must believe] what God has said is true [about] (his Son/the one who is also God).
10 Eya ta ame sia ame si xɔa Mawu Vi la dzi sena la ɖia ɖase le eƒe dzi me. Eye ame si mexɔa Mawu dzi se o la, ewɔ Mawu aʋatsokalae, elabena mexɔ ɖase si Mawu ɖi le Via ŋu la dzi se o.
Those who trust in the Son of God know within their (inner beings/hearts) that [what God] says [about his Son is true. But] those who refuse to believe that [what] God says is true are saying that God is a liar, because they refuse to believe what God has said about (his Son/the one who is also God).
This is what [God] says [to us]: “I have given you eternal life!” We will live forever if we have a close relationship with his Son. (aiōnios g166)
12 Ame si si Vi la le la agbe le esi, eye ame si si Mawu Vi la mele o la, agbe mele esi o.
Those who have [a close relationship with God’s] Son (OR, who have accepted what God’s Son [has done for them]) have [already] begun to live [forever]. [But] those who do not have a relationship with (God’s Son/the one who is also God) (OR, who have not accepted what God’s Son has done for them) have not begun [to] live [forever].
13 Mele nu siawo ŋlɔm ɖo ɖe mi ame siwo xɔ Mawu Vi la ƒe ŋkɔ dzi se la, ale be mianya be agbe mavɔ le mia si. (aiōnios g166)
I have written this [letter] to you who believe that Jesus is [MTY] (God’s Son/the one who is also God) in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
14 Kakaɖedzi sia le mía si le tete ɖe Mawu ŋu me, be ne míebia nu si sɔ ɖe eƒe lɔlɔ̃nu dzi la, eɖoa to mí.
Because we have a close relationship with him, we are very confident that he hears us when we ask him [to do anything] that is in accordance with (his will/what he desires).
15 Eye ne míenyae be eɖoa to mí la, ekema nu sia nu si míebiae la, míenyae be míaƒe asi su edzi xoxo.
[And] since we know that he hears whenever we ask [him for something], we [also] know that [it is as though] he has [already] done what we requested him [to do].
16 Ne ame aɖe kpɔ be ye nɔvi wɔ nu vɔ̃ si ƒe fetu menye ku o la, nedo gbe ɖa, ale be Mawu naxɔe ɖe agbe. Mele esia gblɔm ku ɖe ame siwo ƒe nu vɔ̃ mehea ku vanɛ o la ŋuti. Nu vɔ̃ aɖe li si hea ame yia ku me, menye nu vɔ̃ sia tɔgbe ƒe nya gblɔm mele o.
Those who see one of their fellow believers sinning in a way that does not result in being eternally separated from God should ask [God to help that fellow believer]; and [as a result God] will help that fellow believer and enable him or her to live [eternally. But some people] sin [in a manner that causes them] to be separated from God eternally. I am not saying that [you should] ask [God to help] people who sin like that.
17 Nu gbegblẽ wɔwɔ ɖe sia ɖe ƒomevi nye nu vɔ̃, gake nu vɔ̃ aɖewo li siwo mehea ame yia ku mee o.
Everyone who does what is wrong is sinning, but there are some sins that do not cause a person to be separated from God.
18 Minyae kɔtɛe be ne wodzi ame aɖe tso Mawu me la, meganɔa nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ dzi atraɖii o; Mawu Vi la ŋutɔ kpɔa eta be wònɔna dedie, eye Vɔ̃ɖitɔ la metea ŋu kaa asi eŋu o.
We know that if a person has new life from God [MET], that person does not continue sinning. Instead, the (Son of/one who is also) God protects him so that [Satan], the evil one, does not harm him [spiritually].
19 Míenyae be Mawu viwoe míenye, eye be xexea me blibo la le vɔ̃ɖitɔ la ƒe ŋusẽ te.
We know that we belong to God, and [we know] that the evil one controls all [the evil people in] [MTY] the world.
20 Míenyae hã be Mawu Vi la va, eye wòna nugɔmesese mí, ale be míanye eya ame si nye nyateƒea. Míele nyateƒea si nye Via Yesu Kristo la me. Eyae nye nyateƒe Mawu kple agbe mavɔ la. (aiōnios g166)
We also know that (God’s Son/the one who is also God) has come [to us], and [we know] that he has enabled us to know God, the one who is really/truly God. So now we have a close relationship with [God because] we belong to Jesus Christ, the one who is the (Son of/man who is also) God. Jesus Christ is truly God, and [he is the one who enables us to have] eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
21 Vinye lɔlɔ̃awo, miɖe mia ɖokuiwo ɖa le legbawo gbɔ.
[I say to] you who are very dear to me, guard/keep yourselves from [worshipping] gods [that have no real power]!
