1 UJohane 3
1 Khangelani uthando olungaka asinika lona uYise ukuthi sithiwe singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu. Ngenxa yalokho umhlaba kawusazi, ngoba ungamazanga yena.
See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him.
2 Bathandekayo, khathesi singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, njalo kakukabonakali esizakuba yikho. Kodwa siyazi ukuthi uba ebonakala, sizakuba njengaye, ngoba sizambona njengoba enjalo.
Dear friends, we are now God's children, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been fully revealed. We know that if Christ reappears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.
3 Laye wonke olalelithemba kuye uyazihlambulula, njengoba yena ehlambulukile.
And every man who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself so as to be as pure as He is.
4 Wonke owenza isono weqa lomlayo; ngoba isono siyikweqa umlayo.
Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law.
5 Njalo liyazi ukuthi yena wabonakaliswa, ukuze asuse izono zethu; lesono kasikho kuye.
And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
6 Wonke ohlala kuye koni; wonke owonayo kambonanga, futhi kamazanga.
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.
7 Bantwanyana, kungabi khona olikhohlisayo; owenza ukulunga ulungile, njengoba yena elungile;
Dear children, let no one lead you astray. The man who acts righteously is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 owenza isono uvela kudiyabhola, ngoba udiyabhola wona kusukela ekuqaleni. Ngalokhu iNdodana kaNkulunkulu yabonakaliswa, ukuze ichithe imisebenzi kadiyabhola.
He who is habitually guilty of sin is a child of the Devil, because the Devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for the purpose of undoing the work of the Devil.
9 Wonke ozelwe nguNkulunkulu kenzi isono, ngoba inhlanyelo yakhe ihlala kuye; futhi angone, ngoba ezelwe nguNkulunkulu.
No one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God.
10 Ngalokhu kuyabonakala abantwana bakaNkulunkulu labantwana bakadiyabhola; wonke ongenzi okulungileyo kaveli kuNkulunkulu, laye ongamthandiyo umzalwane wakhe.
By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.
11 Ngoba yilo umbiko elawuzwa kusukela ekuqaleni, ukuthi asithandane;
For this is the Message you have heard from the beginning--that we are to love one another.
12 kungenjengoKhayini owavela komubi, wasebulala umfowabo. Njalo kungani wambulala? Ngoba imisebenzi yakhe yayimibi, kodwa eyomfowabo yayilungile.
We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous.
13 Lingamangali bazalwane bami, uba umhlaba ulizonda.
Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.
14 Thina siyazi ukuthi sesidlule ekufeni saya empilweni, ngoba siyabathanda abazalwane. Ongamthandiyo umzalwane uhlezi ekufeni.
As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead.
15 Wonke ozonda umzalwane wakhe ungumbulali; liyazi ukuthi kakho umbulali lakanye olempilo elaphakade ehlezi kuye. (aiōnios g166)
Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him. (aiōnios g166)
16 Ngalokhu siyalwazi uthando lukaNkulunkulu, ngoba yena wasibekela phansi impilo yakhe; lathi sifanele ukubabekela phansi impilo abazalwane.
We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men.
17 Kodwa loba ngubani olempahla yomhlaba, njalo ebona umzalwane wakhe eswele, abesemvalela imibilini yakhe, uthando lukaNkulunkulu luhlala njani kuye?
But if any one has this world's wealth and sees that his brother man is in need, and yet hardens his heart against him--how can such a one continue to love God?
18 Bantwanyana bami, kasingathandi ngelizwi kumbe ngolimi, kodwa ngezenzo langeqiniso.
Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.
19 Futhi ngalokho siyazi ukuthi singabeqiniso, njalo sizaqinisa inhliziyo zethu phambi kwakhe,
And in this way we shall come to know that we are loyal to the truth, and shall satisfy our consciences in His presence
20 ngoba uba inhliziyo yethu isilahla, uNkulunkulu mkhulu kulenhliziyo yethu, futhi uyazi zonke izinto.
in whatever matters our hearts condemn us--because God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
21 Bathandekayo, uba inhliziyo zethu zingasilahli, silesibindi kuNkulunkulu,
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have perfect confidence towards God;
22 njalo loba yini esiyicelayo, siyayemukela ivela kuye, ngoba sigcina imilayo yakhe, njalo senza izinto ezithandekayo phambi kwakhe.
and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight.
23 Njalo yilo umlayo wakhe, ukuthi sikholwe ebizweni leNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu, njalo sithandane, njengoba wasipha umlayo.
And this is His command--that we are to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us to do.
24 Logcina imilayo yakhe, uhlala kuye, laye kuye. Ngalokhu-ke siyazi ukuthi uhlala kithi, ngoMoya asiphe wona.
The man who obeys His commands continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him; and through His Spirit whom He has given us we can know that He continues in union with us.
