1 UJohane 3
1 Yeka ubukhulu bothando uBaba asinika lona, ukuba sibizwe ngokuthi singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu! Njalo lokho yikho esiyikho! Okwenza umhlaba thina ungasazi yikuthi laye kawumazanga.
And ye see, how great is the love of the Father towards us, who hath called us sons, and made us such. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because it likewise knoweth him not.
2 Bangane abathandekayo, khathesi singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, njalo lokho esizakuba yikho akukaziwa. Kodwa siyakwazi ukuthi lapho ebonakala sizakuba njengaye ngoba sizambona njengoba enjalo.
My beloved, now are we the sons of God; and hitherto, it hath not appeared what we are to be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be in his likeness, and we shall see him as he is.
3 Wonke umuntu olethemba leli ngaphakathi kwakhe uyazihlambulula njengoba laye ehlambulukile.
And every one that hath this hope from him, purifieth himself, as he is pure.
4 Umuntu wonke owenza izono wephula umthetho; ngempela isono yikungabi lomthetho.
And every one that practiseth sin, perpetrateth iniquity; for all sin is iniquity.
5 Kodwa liyakwazi ukuthi wabonakala ukuze asuse izono zethu. Njalo kuye akulasono.
And ye know, that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him was no sin.
6 Kakho ohlala kuye oqhubeka esona. Kakho oqhubeka esona owambonayo kumbe omaziyo.
And every one that abideth in him, sinneth not: and every one that sinneth, hath not seen him, nor hath known him.
7 Bantwana abathandekayo, lingavumeli muntu eledukisa. Lowo oyenza okulungileyo ulungile, njengoba laye elungile.
My children, let no one deceive you: he that doeth righteousness, is righteous, as the Messiah also is righteous.
8 Lowo owonayo ngokaSathane ngoba uSathane wona kusukela ekuqaleni. INdodana kaNkulunkulu yabonakala ukuze ichithe imisebenzi kaSathane.
And he that committeth sin, is of Satan; because Satan was a sinner from the beginning: and for this cause, the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of Satan.
9 Kakho ozelwe ngokukaNkulunkulu ozaqhubeka esona, ngoba inhlanyelo kaNkulunkulu ihlala ikubo, abasoze baqhubeke besona ngoba bazelwe nguNkulunkulu.
Every one that is born of God, doth not practise sin; because his seed is in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 Sibazi ngalokhu ukuthi abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngobani kanye lokuthi abangabantwana bakaSathane ngobani. Lowo ongenzi okulungileyo kasuye mntakaNkulunkulu, loba lowo ongamthandiyo umfowabo lodadewabo.
By this are the children of God discriminated from the children of Satan. Every one that practiseth not righteousness, and that loveth not his brother, is not of God:
11 Leli yilizwi elalizwa kusukela ekuqaleni: Kumele sithandane.
because this is the commandment, which ye heard from the beginning, that ye should love one another.
12 Lingabi njengoKhayini, owayengokaSathane wasebulala umfowabo. Wambulalelani na? Ngoba ezakhe izenzo zazizimbi ezomfowabo zilungile.
Not like Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And why did he slay him, but because his own works were evil, and those of his brother righteous?
13 Lingamangali bazalwane bami nxa umhlaba ulizonda.
And wonder not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14 Siyakwazi ukuthi sesidlulile ekufeni saya ekuphileni, ngoba siyabathanda abazalwane bethu. Lowo ongathandiyo ulokhu esekufeni.
We know that we have turned from death unto life, by this, that we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, remaineth in death.
15 Lowo ozonda umzalwane wakhe ungumbulali, njalo liyakwazi ukuthi akulambulali olokuphila okungapheliyo kuye. (aiōnios g166)
For every one that hateth his brother, is a man-slayer; and ye know, that no man-slayer can have eternal life abiding in him. (aiōnios g166)
16 Nanku esazi ngakho ukuthi uthando luyini: UJesu Khristu wadela ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yethu. Lathi kufanele sidele ukuphila kwethu ngenxa yabazalwane bethu.
By this we know his love towards us, because he gave up his life for us: and we also ought to give up our lives for our brethren.
17 Nxa umuntu enothile abone umzalwane wakhe oswelayo, kodwa angabi lesihawu kuye, uthando lukaNkulunkulu lungaba kuye kanjani na?
But whoever hath worldly possessions, and seeth his brother in want, and shutteth up his bowels from him, how is the love of God in him?
18 Bantwana abathandekayo, kasingathandi ngamazwi loba ulimi kuphela kodwa ngezenzo langeqiniso.
My children, let us not love one another in words and in tongue, but in acts and in truth.
19 Ngalokhu sazi kanje ukuthi singabeqiniso lokuthi sizibeka njani inhliziyo zethu ekuphumuleni phambi kwakhe
And by this, we recognize that we are of the truth; and, before he shall come, we make our hearts confident.
20 lapho inhliziyo zethu zisilahla. Ngoba uNkulunkulu mkhulu kakhulu kulezinhliziyo zethu njalo wazi izinto zonke.
But if our heart condemneth us, how much greater is God than our heart, and knowing all things?
21 Bazalwane abathandekayo, nxa inhliziyo zethu zingasilahli, silesibindi phambi kukaNkulunkulu
My beloved, if our heart condemneth us not, we have open countenances before God.
22 njalo samukela kuye konke esikucelayo ngoba siyayilalela imilayo yakhe senze okumthokozisayo.
And whatever we ask, we receive from him; because we keep his commandments, and do acceptable things before him.
23 Nanku umlayo wakhe: ukukholwa ebizweni leNdodana yakhe, uJesu Khristu, lokuthandana njengokusilaya kwakhe.
And this is his commandment, that we believe on the name of his Son Jesus the Messiah, and that we love one another as he hath commanded us.
24 Labo abalalela imilayo yakhe bahlala kuye, laye kubo. Njalo sikwazi ngalokhu ukuthi uhlala kithi: Sikwazi ngoMoya asinika yena.
And he that keepeth his commandments, is kept by him, and he dwelleth in him: and by this we understand that he abideth in us, from his Spirit which he hath given to us.
