1 Johannes 2
1 Mine barn, jeg skriver dette til dere for at dere skal holde dere borte fra synden. Dersom dere synder, finnes det en som forsvarer dere for Far i himmelen. Det er Jesus Kristus, han som behandler alle rettferdig.
You who are very dear to me, I am writing this to you [to say], “Do not sin!” But if any of you [believers] sins, [God can forgive you because] we have Jesus Christ, who is the righteous one, who speaks to the Father on our behalf [and asks him to forgive us].
2 Han betalte straffen for syndene våre ved å ofre livet sitt. Derfor kan alle få tilgivelse for syndene sine.
[Remember that Jesus Christ] voluntarily sacrificed [his own life for us, so that as a result God forgives] our sins. [Yes, God is able to forgive] our sins, but not only ours! [He is] also [able to forgive] the sins of people everywhere!
3 Beviset på at vi virkelig har lært Jesus å kjenne, er at vi er lydige mot det han har gitt befaling om.
[I will tell you] how we can be sure that we (know/have a close relationship with) [God]. [If we] obey what he commands [us to do, that shows us that we have a close relationship with him. So we must always obey what he commands us to do].
4 Den personen som sier:”Jeg kjenner Jesus”, men ikke er lydig mot det Jesus har gitt befaling om lyver. Han har ikke sluppet til Gud, som er sannheten.
Those who say, “We (know/have a close relationship with) God,” and do not obey what [God] commands [us to do], are liars. They are not conducting their lives according to [God’s] true message.
5 Den som lever i tråd med Jesu undervisning beviser at han virkelig elsker Gud. Det er gjennom dette vi kan vite om vi lever i fellesskap med ham eller ikke.
But those who obey what [God] commands them to do are the people who love God in the manner in which he wants us to. [I will tell you] how we can be sure that we have a close relationship with God:
6 Den som sier at han lever i fellesskap med Gud, må leve på samme måten som Jesus gjorde.
If we say that we are living as God wants us to, we should [conduct our lives] as Christ [did].
7 Kjære venner, jeg vil nå gi dere en befaling. Det er på sett og vis ikke noen ny befaling jeg skriver til dere, men noe som dere har hørt helt fra begynnelsen. Det er det samme budskapet og samme befalingen som dere har hørt tidligere: Dere skal elske hverandre.
Dear friends, I am not writing a new [additional] command to you. Instead, I am writing to you a command which was given to you when you first [MTY] [believed in Christ]. That command is [part of] the message that you have [always] heard.
8 Likevel er det en ny befaling, for Jesus har gjennom sitt liv vist hva virkelig kjærlighet innebærer. Som følge av dette har livet deres blitt fylt av kjærlighet. Mørket forsvinner, lyset fra Jesus bryter fram og skinner over hele livet.
Nevertheless, [I can say that] the command I am writing to you is a new command. [It is new because] what Christ [did] was new, and what you [are doing] is new, because [you have been ceasing to conduct your lives in a morally impure manner] and [are now truly conducting your lives in a pure manner. That is like] [MET] no longer [living in] darkness. Instead, [it is like] living where a brilliant light is already shining.
9 Den som sier:”Jeg lever i Guds lys”, men samtidig hater noen av sine troende brødre eller søstrer sitter fortsatt tilbake i mørket.
Those who claim that they are [pure in every way, like people] [MET] living in the light, but hate any of their fellow believers, are still [behaving in an impure manner, like] [MET] [people who are continually living] in darkness.
10 Den som elsker sine troende søsken fortsetter å leve i Guds lys, og ikke noe får han til å snuble og falle i synd.
But those who love their fellow believers [are continuing to conduct their lives like people] who are living in the light. They are people who please [God] [LIT]. [So you should love your fellow believers].
11 Den som hater en annen troende, sitter fortsatt tilbake i mørket. Han lever sitt liv i åndelig mørke, og ser ikke hvor han går, etter som mørket har forblindet ham.
But those who hate any of their fellow believers are still [conducting their lives in an impure way, like] [MET] [people who are living] in darkness. They do not know that they will eventually destroy themselves [eternally]. They have become [spiritually] blind [PRS, MET], [unaware of spiritual truth].
12 Jeg skriver til dere, dere som nylig har begynt å tro: Syndene deres har blitt tilgitt ved at Jesus ofret livet sitt.
I am writing [this] to you [whom I love as though] [MET] [you were my] little children, to you who are [spiritually mature people who are like] [MET] fathers, and to you [spiritually vigorous/strong people who are like] [MET] young men. Remember that your sins have been forgiven {[God] has forgiven your sins} on account of what Christ [MTY] [has done]. You now know [Christ, the one] who always existed. You have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
13 Jeg skriver til dere, dere som har en moden tro: Dere har lært Jesus Kristus å kjenne, ham som er og blir helt fra tidenes begynnelse. Jeg skriver til dere, dere som har vært troende en tid: Dere har overvunnet den onde.
14 Ja, jeg skrev til dere, dere som nylig har begynt å tro: Dere har lært Far i himmelen å kjenne. Jeg skrev til dere, som har en moden tro: Dere har lært Jesus Kristus å kjenne, ham som er og blir helt fra tidenes begynnelse. Og jeg skrev til dere, dere som har vært troende en tid: Dere er sterke og holder fast på Guds budskap, og har overvunnet den onde.
[I will say it again]: I have written [this] to you because you have come to know the Father, because you now know [Christ, the one] who always existed, because you are [spiritually] strong, because you continue to [obey] God’s word, and because you have defeated the evil one, [Satan].
15 Ikke elsk denne onde verden og alt den lokker med. Den som elsker verden, og ondskap i den, har ikke sluppet inn Fat i himmelen sin kjærlighet i livet sitt.
Do not desire [to conduct you lives in the evil manner in which] godless [people in] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives], and do not love anything that [the evil people] in the world [MTY] [consider to be good]. Those who desire [to conduct their lives in the evil manner in which other people of] the world [MTY] conduct their [lives] do not [really] love [God], their Father, [at all].
16 Verden lokker stadig med at vi skal tilfredsstille våre fysiske begjær, at vi skal kreve å få alt vi peker på, og at vi skal skryte av oss selv og det vi har. Denne atferden kommer ikke fra Far i himmelen, men fra verden.
Keep in mind that all [the evil human desires] in the world [are actions/things such as these]: [People] desire to do [what] their self-directed nature [strongly desires]. [People] desire [to possess] whatever (appeals to their senses/they see or hear about). [People] boast about the material things that they possess. [Such evil ways of living] do not originate/come from the Father! Instead they originate/come from [the (godless people in] the world/people in the world who conduct their lives in a manner that displeases God) [MTY]!
17 Denne verden skal gå under med alle sine fristelser, men den som gjør Guds vilje skal leve for evig og alltid. (aiōn g165)
The [godless people in] the world [MTY], along with what they desire, will disappear, but those who do what God wants [them to do] will live forever! You know that it is now the final period of this age when there are liars who deny that Jesus is God’s Chosen One. But you have the power of God’s Spirit and you know what is true and what is false. So continue to live according to the true message that you heard when you began to believe in Christ, in order that you may continue to live united both to God’s Son and to the Father. (aiōn g165)
18 Mine barn, den siste timen har snart slått. Dere har hørt at”Motstanderen til Kristus” skal komme, og allerede har mange motstandere vist seg. Av dette forstår vi at tidenes slutt er nær.
[You who are very dear to me], it is [now] (the final part [MTY] [of this age/] final [period of time before Jesus returns]). Just like you heard [from us apostles] that a person who opposes Christ will come/appear, even now there are many people who oppose Christ. That is why we know that it is the final part [of this age] (OR, [before Jesus returns]) [MTY].
19 Disse motstanderne dukket opp i våre menigheter, men de forsvant fra oss etter som de egentlig aldri hørte til hos oss. Dersom de hadde hørt til hos oss hadde de blitt værende. Nå ble det avslørt at de aldri hørte til hos oss.
The [people who oppose Christ] refused to remain in our congregations, but they never [really] (belonged with us/were fellow believers). If they had (belonged with us/been fellow believers), they would have remained with us. But because [they left, everyone] can clearly know that none of them (belongs with us/is a fellow believer).
20 Dere er ikke slik, for dere har fått Guds Hellige Ånd. Dere kjenner til det sanne budskapet om Jesus.
But as for you, you have been given the power of [God’s Spirit, which comes from Christ] (OR, [God]), the Holy One. [As a result], you all know [how to] ([distinguish false teaching from/recognize what is false teaching and what is]) [the true message].
21 Jeg skriver altså ikke til dere fordi dere ikke kjenner til det som er sant. Heller tvert imot fordi dere vet at det aldri kommer noe falskt fra Gud, han som er sannheten.
I am writing [this letter] to you, not because you do not know [what is God’s] true message, but because you do know [what it is]. You also know that no false message originates/comes from [God, who is the source of all] truth.
22 Hvem er en løgner? Er det ikke den som sier at Jesus ikke er Kristus, kongen som Gud lovet å sende? Jo, den personen er”Motstanderen til Kristus”. Han fornekter både Far i himmelen og Sønnen.
The [worst] liars are the ones who deny that Jesus is (the Messiah/the one whom God chose to rescue us). They are [the ones that we told you about], the ones who oppose Christ. They refuse to acknowledge/admit that [God is] the Father and that [Jesus is his] Son (OR, the one who is also God).
23 Den som fornekter Sønnen har heller ikke fellesskap med Far i himmelen. Den som erkjenner Sønnen har også fellesskap med Far i himmelen.
Those who refuse to acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son do not have a relationship with the Father. But those who acknowledge/admit that [Jesus is God’s] Son [not only have a relationship with God’s Son, but they] have a relationship with the Father also.
24 Fortsett derfor å tro på det dere har blitt undervist i fra begynnelsen. Dersom dere holder fast ved det dere har hørt fra begynnelsen, kommer dere fortsatt til å leve i permanent fellesskap med både Sønnen og Far i himmelen.
[So], as for you, you must continue to conduct your lives according to [the true message] that you heard when you began [MTY] [to believe in Christ]. If you continue to [do that], you will continue to have a close relationship with both [God’s] Son and the Father.
And what God told us is that [he will cause us] to live forever! (aiōnios g166)
26 Jeg har skrevet dette til dere for å advare dere mot dem som forsøker å lede dere vill.
I have written this to you [to] ([warn you] about/tell you to beware of) those [who want to] deceive you [concerning the truth about Christ].
27 Dere har fått Guds Ånd. Så lenge Ånden finnes i dere, trenger ingen å lære dere om hva som er sant eller falskt. Han underviser dere om alt, og han lærer alltid sannhet. Han kan ikke lyve. Fortsett derfor å leve i fellesskap med Jesus, akkurat som Guds Ånd sier til dere.
As for you, God’s Spirit, whom you received from Christ, remains in you. So you do not need anyone to teach you [anything else that they claim/say is the truth]. God’s Spirit is teaching you all [of God’s truth that you need to know]. God’s Spirit is truthful and never says anything that is false. So continue to conduct your lives in the way that [he has] taught you.
28 Ja, barna mine, fortsett å leve i fellesskap med Jesus, slik at vi ikke trenger å gå skamfull når han kommer igjen, men kan glade og forventningsfulle se ham i øynene.
Now, [while some people are trying to persuade you to accept their false teaching, I urge] you, who are all very dear to me, to continue to [have a close relationship with] Christ. [We need to do that] in order that we may be confident [that he will accept us] when he comes back again. If we do that, we will not be ashamed [when we stand] before [him] when he comes.
29 Dersom vi følger Guds vilje og lever rett, vet vi at vi er hans barn, etter som Gud selv alltid handler rett.
Since you know that [Christ] always does what is right, you know that all those who continue doing what is right are the ones who have become children of God.
