1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Wapenzi, msiiamini kila roho, bali zijaribuni hizo roho, kwamba zimetokana na Mungu; kwa sababu manabii wa uongo wengi wametokea duniani.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
Katika hili mwamjua Roho wa Mungu; kila roho ikiriyo kwamba Yesu Kristo amekuja katika mwili yatokana na Mungu.
3 and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
Na kila roho isiyomkiri Yesu haitokani na Mungu. Na hii ndiyo roho ya mpinga Kristo ambayo mmesikia kwamba yaja; na sasa imekwisha kuwako duniani.
4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Ninyi, watoto wadogo, mwatokana na Mungu nanyi mmewashinda, kwa sababu yeye aliye ndani yenu ni mkuu kuliko yeye aliye katika dunia.
5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
Hao ni wa dunia; kwa hiyo wanena ya dunia na dunia huwasikia
6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Sisi twatokana na Mungu. Yeye amjuaye Mungu atusikia; yeye asiyetokana na Mungu hatusikii. Katika hili twamjua Roho wa kweli, na roho ya upotevu.
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
Wapenzi, na mpendane; kwa kuwa pendo latoka kwa Mungu, na kila apendaye amezaliwa na Mungu, naye anamjua Mungu.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Yeye asiyependa, hakumjua Mungu, kwa maana Mungu ni upendo.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Katika hili pendo la Mungu lilionekana kwetu, kwamba Mungu amemtuma Mwanawe pekee ulimwenguni, ili tupate uzima kwa yeye.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Hili ndilo pendo, si kwamba sisi tulimpenda Mungu, bali kwamba yeye alitupenda sisi, akamtuma Mwanawe kuwa kipatanisho kwa dhambi zetu.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
Wapenzi ikiwa Mungu alitupenda sisi hivi, imetupasa na sisi kupendana.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Hakuna mtu aliyemwona Mungu wakati wo wote. Tukipendana, Mungu hukaa ndani yetu, na pendo lake limekamilika ndani yetu.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
Katika hili tunafahamu ya kuwa tunakaa ndani yake, naye ndani yetu, kwa kuwa ametushirikisha Roho wake.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
Na sisi tumeona na kushuhudia ya kuwa Baba amemtuma Mwana kuwa Mwokozi wa ulimwengu.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Kila akiriye ya kuwa Yesu ni Mwana wa Mungu, Mungu hukaa ndani yake, naye ndani ya Mungu.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
Nasi tumelifahamu pendo alilo nalo Mungu kwetu sisi, na kuliamini. Mungu ni upendo, naye akaaye katika pendo, hukaa ndani ya Mungu, na Mungu hukaa ndani yake.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Katika hili pendo limekamilishwa kwetu, ili tuwe na ujasiri katika siku ya hukumu; kwa kuwa, kama yeye alivyo, ndivyo tulivyo na sisi ulimwenguni humu.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Katika pendo hamna hofu; lakini pendo lililo kamili huitupa nje hofu, kwa maana hofu ina adhabu; na mwenye hofu hakukamilishwa katika pendo.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
Sisi twapenda kwa maana yeye alitupenda sisi kwanza.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
Mtu akisema, Nampenda Mungu, naye anamchukia ndugu yake, ni mwongo; kwa maana asiyempenda ndugu yake ambaye amemwona, hawezi kumpenda Mungu ambaye hakumwona.
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Na amri hii tumepewa na yeye, ya kwamba yeye ampendaye Mungu, ampende na ndugu yake.
