< 1 UJohane 4 >
1 Bathandekayo, lingakholwa wonke umoya, kodwa hlolani omoya, ukuthi bavela kuNkulunkulu yini; ngoba banengi abaprofethi bamanga abaphumele emhlabeni.
2 Ngalokhu liyamazi uMoya kaNkulunkulu: Wonke umoya ovumayo ukuthi uJesu Kristu uzile enyameni, uvela kuNkulunkulu;
3 futhi wonke umoya ongavumiyo ukuthi uJesu Kristu usezile enyameni, kaveli kuNkulunkulu; lalo ungowomphikuKristu, eselizwile ukuthi uyeza, lakhathesi usekhona emhlabeni.
4 Lina lingabakaNkulunkulu, bantwanyana, futhi libanqobile; ngoba mkhulu okini kulalowo osemhlabeni.
5 Bona bangabomhlaba; ngenxa yalokho bakhuluma okuvela emhlabeni, njalo umhlaba uyabezwa.
6 Thina singabakaNkulunkulu; omaziyo uNkulunkulu, uyasizwa; ongeyisuye kaNkulunkulu, kasizwa. Ngalokhu siyamazi umoya weqiniso lomoya wokuduha.
7 Bathandekayo, asithandaneni; ngoba uthando luvela kuNkulunkulu, laye wonke othandayo, uzelwe nguNkulunkulu, futhi uyamazi uNkulunkulu.
8 Ongathandiyo, kamazi uNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu uluthando.
9 Ngalokhu uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwabonakaliswa kithi, ukuthi uNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa emhlabeni, ukuze siphile ngayo.
10 Uthando lukulokhu, kungesikuthi thina samthanda uNkulunkulu, kodwa ukuthi yena wasithanda, wasethuma iNdodana yakhe ukuthi ibe yinhlawulo yokuthula ngezono zethu.
11 Bathandekayo, uba uNkulunkulu wasithanda ngokunje, lathi sifanele ukuthandana.
12 Kakulamuntu owake wabona uNkulunkulu; uba sithandana, uNkulunkulu uhlala kithi, lothando lwakhe luphelelisiwe kithi.
13 Ngalokhu siyazi ukuthi sihlala kuye, laye kithi, ngoba usinikile okukaMoya wakhe.
14 Thina sesibonile siyafakaza ukuthi uYise uyithumile iNdodana ibe nguMsindisi womhlaba.
15 Loba ngubani ovumayo ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uhlala kuye, laye kuNkulunkulu.
16 Thina sesisazi sakholwa uthando uNkulunkulu alalo kithi. UNkulunkulu uluthando, njalo ohlala ethandweni uhlala kuNkulunkulu, loNkulunkulu kuye.
17 Ngalokhu uthando luphelelisiwe lathi, ukuze sibe lesibindi osukwini lokwahlulelwa, ngoba njengalokhu enjalo yena, sinjalo lathi kulumhlaba.
18 Kakukho ukwesaba ethandweni, kodwa uthando olupheleleyo luyaxotsha ukwesaba, ngoba ukwesaba kulobuhlungu; lowesabayo kapheleliswanga ethandweni.
19 Thina siyamthanda, ngoba yena wasithanda kuqala.
20 Uba umuntu esithi: Ngiyamthanda uNkulunkulu, njalo ezonda umzalwane wakhe, ungumqambimanga; ngoba ongamthandiyo umzalwane wakhe ambonileyo, angamthanda njani uNkulunkulu angambonanga?
21 Njalo silalumlayo ovela kuye, ukuthi othanda uNkulunkulu, kamthande lomzalwane wakhe.
