1 Yohane 5

1 Obiara a ɔgye di sɛ Yesu yɛ Agyenkwa no yɛ Onyankopɔn ba. Na obiara a ɔdɔ Agya no dɔ ne mma no nso.

All those who believe that Jesus is the (Messiah/person God sent [to rescue us]) are ones who [have truly] become children of God. And everyone who loves [a man who is] someone’s father will [be expected to] love that man’s children as well. [Similarly, those who love God, who has caused them to become his children] [MET], [should love their fellow believers, whom God has also caused to become his children].

2 Yei na ɛma yɛhunu sɛ yɛdɔ Onyankopɔn mma; sɛ yɛbɛdɔ Onyankopɔn na yɛadi nʼahyɛdeɛ so.

The way we can be sure that we [truly] love God’s children is this: We are loving them when we love God and do what he commands [us to do].

3 Ɔdɔ a yɛdɔ Onyankopɔn no kyerɛ di a yɛdi nʼahyɛdeɛ so. Na nʼahyɛdeɛ no nso sodie nyɛ den mma yɛn,

[I say this] because our obeying what God commands [us to do] is [the same as] loving him. And it is not burdensome/difficult for [us to do] what God commands [us to do].

4 ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn ba biara di ewiase so nkonim. Yɛnam yɛn gyidie so di ewiase so nkonim.

All of us whom God has caused to become his children have been able to successfully resist (doing what/conducting our lives like) the people [MTY] [who] oppose God do. It is [only] by our trusting [in Christ] that we are able to (resist doing what/conducting our lives like) people in the world who are opposed to God [MTY] do.

5 Hwan na ɔbɛtumi adi ewiase so nkonim? Obi a ɔgye di sɛ Yesu yɛ Onyankopɔn Ba no nko ara.

([I will tell you] who are the ones who are able to resist doing what the people who are opposed to God do./Do you know who are the ones who are able to resist conducting their lives like the people who are opposed to God [MTY] do? [RHQ]) It is those who believe that Jesus is (God’s Son/the man who is also God).

6 Yesu Kristo yɛ obi a ɔnam nsuo ne mogya so baeɛ. Ɛnyɛ nsuo nko so na ɔnam baeɛ na mmom, nsuo ne mogya. Na ɛyɛ Honhom no na ɛdi ho adanseɛ ɛfiri sɛ, Honhom no ne nokorɛ no.

[Think about] Jesus Christ. He is the one who came [to earth from God]. [God showed that he had truly sent Jesus when Jesus was baptized] in water [MTY] and [when Jesus’] blood [flowed from his body when he died]. [God showed this] not only [when Jesus was baptized] [MTY], but also when Jesus’ blood flowed [from his body when he died]. And [God’s] Spirit declares [truthfully that Jesus Christ came from God]. The Spirit always [speaks what] is true.

7 Adansefoɔ baasa na wɔwɔ hɔ.

There are three [ways] by which we know [that Christ came from God].

8 Honhom no, nsuo no ne mogya no. Saa adansefoɔ yi adwene hyia.

[Those three ways are: What God’s] Spirit [tells us, what God said when Jesus was baptized] [MTY] [in/with] water, and [Jesus’] blood [that flowed from his body when he died on the cross]. These three things all tell us the same thing, [that Jesus came from God].

9 Yɛgye adanseɛ a nnipa di no di; nanso adanseɛ a Onyankopɔn di no mu yɛ den yie. Na saa adanseɛ no na Onyankopɔn adi afa ne Ba no ho no.

We [usually] believe what [other] people say. But what God says is more [reliable/trustworthy than what people say]. So [we must believe] what God has said is true [about] (his Son/the one who is also God).

10 Enti, obi a ɔgye Onyankopɔn Ba no di no agye saa adanseɛ yi adi wɔ nʼakoma mu. Na obi a ɔnnye Onyankopɔn nni no ama Onyankopɔn ayɛ ɔtorofoɔ, ɛfiri sɛ, wannye adanseɛ a Onyankopɔn di faa ne Ba no ho anni.

Those who trust in the Son of God know within their (inner beings/hearts) that [what God] says [about his Son is true. But] those who refuse to believe that [what] God says is true are saying that God is a liar, because they refuse to believe what God has said about (his Son/the one who is also God).

11 Yei ne adanseɛ no: Onyankopɔn ama yɛn nkwa a ɛnni awieeɛ; na saa nkwa no wɔ ne Ba no mu. (aiōnios g166)

This is what [God] says [to us]: “I have given you eternal life!” We will live forever if we have a close relationship with his Son. (aiōnios g166)

12 Obiara a ɔwɔ Ɔba no wɔ saa nkwa no, na obiara a ɔnni Ɔba no nni nkwa no.

Those who have [a close relationship with God’s] Son (OR, who have accepted what God’s Son [has done for them]) have [already] begun to live [forever]. [But] those who do not have a relationship with (God’s Son/the one who is also God) (OR, who have not accepted what God’s Son has done for them) have not begun [to] live [forever].

13 Mo a mogye Onyankopɔn Ba no din di no, meretwerɛ mo yei sɛdeɛ ɛbɛma moahunu sɛ mowɔ nkwa a ɛnni awieeɛ. (aiōnios g166)

I have written this [letter] to you who believe that Jesus is [MTY] (God’s Son/the one who is also God) in order that you may know that you have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

14 Na anidasoɔ a yɛwɔ wɔ Onyankopɔn anim ne sɛ, yɛnim sɛ biribiara a yɛbisa no wɔ ne pɛ mu no, ɔtie yɛn.

Because we have a close relationship with him, we are very confident that he hears us when we ask him [to do anything] that is in accordance with (his will/what he desires).

15 Ɛberɛ biara a yɛbisa no no, ɔtie yɛn. Yɛahunu sɛ yei yɛ nokorɛ yi, yɛnim nso sɛ ɔma yɛn deɛ yɛbisa no biara.

[And] since we know that he hears whenever we ask [him for something], we [also] know that [it is as though] he has [already] done what we requested him [to do].

16 Sɛ obi hunu sɛ ne nua ayɛ bɔne bi a ɛmfa no nkɔ owuo mu a, ɔmmɔ Onyankopɔn a ɔbɛma no nkwa no mpaeɛ mma no. Yei fa wɔn a wɔn bɔne mfa wɔn nkɔ owuo mu no ho. Bɔne bi wɔ hɔ a ɛde onipa kɔ owuo mu na ɛno ho deɛ, menka sɛ mommɔ ho mpaeɛ nkyerɛ Onyankopɔn.

Those who see one of their fellow believers sinning in a way that does not result in being eternally separated from God should ask [God to help that fellow believer]; and [as a result God] will help that fellow believer and enable him or her to live [eternally. But some people] sin [in a manner that causes them] to be separated from God eternally. I am not saying that [you should] ask [God to help] people who sin like that.

17 Afideyɛ nyinaa yɛ bɔne, nanso bɔne bi wɔ hɔ a ɛnkɔwie owuo mu.

Everyone who does what is wrong is sinning, but there are some sins that do not cause a person to be separated from God.

18 Yɛnim sɛ Onyankopɔn ba biara nkɔ so nyɛ bɔne, ɛfiri sɛ, Onyankopɔn Ba no bɔ wɔn ho ban, na ɔbonsam ntumi nyɛ wɔn bɔne.

We know that if a person has new life from God [MET], that person does not continue sinning. Instead, the (Son of/one who is also) God protects him so that [Satan], the evil one, does not harm him [spiritually].

19 Yɛnim sɛ yɛyɛ Onyankopɔn mma, na ewiasefoɔ deɛ wɔhyɛ ɔbonsam tumi ase.

We know that we belong to God, and [we know] that the evil one controls all [the evil people in] [MTY] the world.

20 Yɛnim sɛ Onyankopɔn Ba no aba, na wama yɛahunu nokorɛ Onyankopɔn no. Ɔno ne Onyankopɔn nokwafoɔ a ɔma daa nkwa no. (aiōnios g166)

We also know that (God’s Son/the one who is also God) has come [to us], and [we know] that he has enabled us to know God, the one who is really/truly God. So now we have a close relationship with [God because] we belong to Jesus Christ, the one who is the (Son of/man who is also) God. Jesus Christ is truly God, and [he is the one who enables us to have] eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

21 Me mma, montwe mo ho mfiri abosom ho.

[I say to] you who are very dear to me, guard/keep yourselves from [worshipping] gods [that have no real power]!