1 UJohane 1
1 Lokho okwakukhona kusukela ekuqaleni, esakuzwayo, esakubonayo ngamehlo ethu, esakukhangelayo, lezandla zethu zakuphatha, mayelana leLizwi leMpilo;
This letter is about the Word of Life which existed from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our very own eyes and gazed upon, and which our hands have touched.
2 leMpilo yabonakaliswa, sasesiyibona, njalo siyafakaza silitshumayeza leyoMpilo elaphakade, eyayiloYise, yasibonakaliswa kithi; (aiōnios g166)
This Life was revealed to us; we saw it and give evidence about it. We are telling you about the one who is Eternal Life, who was with the Father, and who was revealed to us. (aiōnios g166)
3 lokho esikubonileyo sasesikuzwa, silitshumayeza khona, ukuze lani libe lobudlelwano lathi; njalo ngeqiniso le inhlanganyelo eyethu ikanye loYise njalo kanye leNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu;
What we have seen and heard we are now explaining to you, so that you may also share in this friendship together with us—this friendship that is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 lalezizinto silibhalela zona, ukuze intokozo yenu igcwaliswe.
We're writing to tell you about this in order to make our happiness complete.
5 Lokhu-ke ngumbiko esiwuzwe kuye sesiwutshumayela kini, ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyikukhanya, njalo kabukho kuye ubumnyama lakanye.
This is the message we received from him and that we declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him at all.
6 Uba sisithi silobudlelwano laye, kube kanti sihamba ebumnyameni, siqamba amanga, njalo kasenzi iqiniso;
If we claim to share this friendship with him and yet go on living in darkness, we're lying, and not living in the truth.
7 kodwa uba sihamba ekukhanyeni, njengalokhu yena esekukhanyeni, silobudlelwano omunye lomunye, legazi likaJesu Kristu iNdodana yakhe liyasihlambulula kuso sonke isono.
But if we are living in the light, as he is in the light, then we share in this friendship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us clean from every sin.
8 Uba sisithi kasilasono, siyazikhohlisa, leqiniso kalikho kithi.
If we claim to be sinless we only fool ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 Uba sivuma izono zethu, uthembekile futhi ulungile ukuze asithethelele izono zethu, njalo asihlambulule kukho konke ukungalungi.
But if we confess our sins, he is trustworthy and right so that he can forgive us our sins and make us clean from all that is not right in us.
10 Uba sisithi kasonanga, simenza umqambimanga, lelizwi lakhe kalikho kithi.
If we claim we haven't sinned, we turn him into a liar, and his word is not in us.
