1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers
3We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5But if anyone obeys his word, love for God2:5 Or word, God’s love is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16. is still in the darkness. 10Anyone who loves their brother and sister2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21. lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
Reasons for Writing
12I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
On Not Loving the World
15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father2:15 Or world, the Father’s love is not in them. 16For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.
Warnings Against Denying the Son
18Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son. 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.
24As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is what he promised us—eternal life.
26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. 27As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.
God’s Children and Sin
28And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.
29If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.
1Inu Ana anga okondedwa, ndikukulemberani zimenezi kuti musachimwe. Koma wina akachimwa, tili nayo Nkhoswe yotinenera kwa Atate, Yesu Khristu, Wolungamayo. 2Iyeyo ndiye nsembe yopepesera machimo athu, ndipo osati athu okha, komanso machimo onse a dziko lapansi.
Chikondi ndi Chidani
3Ife timatsimikiza kuti tikumudziwa ngati tikusunga malamulo ake. 4Munthu akamanena kuti, “Ine ndimadziwa Mulungu,” koma samvera malamulo a Mulunguyo, ndi wabodza ameneyo ndipo mwa iye mulibe choonadi. 5Koma munthu aliyense akamvera mawu ake, ndiye kuti chikondi cha Mulungu chafikadi penipeni mwa iyeyo. Pamenepo timatsimikizadi kuti tili mwa Iye. 6Aliyense amene amati amakhala mwa Mulungu, ayenera kukhala moyo umene Yesu ankakhala.
7Okondedwa, sindikukulemberani lamulo latsopano koma lakale lomwe lija, limene munali nalo kuyambira pachiyambi. Lamulo la kalelo ndi mawu amene munawamva kale. 8Komabe ndi lamulo latsopano limene ndikukulemberani. Choonadi chake chikuoneka mwa Yesu ndiponso mwa inu, chifukwa mdima ukutha ndipo kuwunika kwenikweni kwayamba kale kuwala.
9Aliyense amene amati ali mʼkuwunika, koma nʼkumadana ndi mʼbale wake ali mu mdima. 10Aliyense amene amakonda mʼbale wake amakhalanso mʼkuwunika, ndipo mwa iye mulibe chokhumudwitsa. 11Koma aliyense wodana ndi mʼbale wake ali mu mdima ndipo akuyenda mu mdima. Iyeyo sakudziwa kumene akupita, chifukwa mdima wamudetsa mʼmaso mwake.
12Inu ana okondedwa, ndikukulemberani
popeza kuti machimo anu akhululukidwa chifukwa cha dzina la Yesu.
13Inu abambo, ndikukulemberani
popeza kuti munamudziwa Iye amene analipo kuyambira pachiyambi.
Inu anyamata, ndikukulemberani
popeza kuti munagonjetsa woyipayo.
14Ana okondedwa, ndikukulemberani
chifukwa mumawadziwa Atate.
Abambo, ndikukulemberani
chifukwa munamudziwa Iye amene analipo kuyambira pachiyambi.
Inu anyamata, ndikukulemberani
chifukwa ndinu amphamvu.
Mawu a Mulungu amakhala mwa inu
ndipo mumamugonjetsa woyipayo.
Musakonde Dziko Lapansi
15Musamakonde dziko lapansi kapena chilichonse cha dziko lapansi. Ngati munthu wina aliyense akonda dziko lapansi, mwa iyeyo mulibe chikondi chokonda Atate. 16Pakuti zonse za mʼdziko lapansi, zilakolako za thupi, zinthu zimene maso amakhumbira ndiponso kuyandikira zinthu za moyo uno, zonsezi sizichokera kwa Atate, koma ku dziko lapansi. 17Dziko lapansi likupita pamodzi ndi zilakolako zake, koma amene amachita chifuniro cha Mulungu amakhalapo mpaka muyaya.
Anthu Okana Khristu
18Ana anga, ino ndi nthawi yotsiriza, ndipo monga munamva kale kuti anthu okana Khristu akubwera, ngakhale tsopano okana Khristu ambiri afika kale. Zimenezi zikutisonyeza kuti ino ndi nthawi yotsiriza. 19Anthu amenewa anachoka pakati pathu, komatu sanali a mʼgulu lathu. Pakuti akanakhala a mʼgulu lathu, akanakhalabe nafe, koma kuchoka kwawo kunatisonyeza kuti sanali a mʼgulu lathu.
20Koma inu muli ndi kudzoza kochokera kwa Woyerayo, ndipo nonsenu mukudziwa choonadi. 21Sindikukulemberani chifukwa choti simudziwa choonadi ayi, koma chifukwa choti mumadziwa choonadicho, ndipo mukudziwanso kuti bodza silichokera pa choonadi. 22Wabodzayo ndani? Ndi munthu aliyense amene amanena kuti Yesu si Mpulumutsi. Munthu woteroyo ndi wokana Khristu, ndiponso amakana Atate, ndi Mwana. 23Aliyense wokana Mwana alibenso Atate. Wovomereza Mwana alinso ndi Atate.
24Onetsetsani kuti zimene munazimva kuyambira pachiyambi zikhalebe mwa inu. Ngati zikhala mwa inu, inunso mudzakhala mwa Mwana ndiponso mwa Atate. 25Ndipo chimene anatilonjeza nʼchimenechi: moyo wosatha.
26Ine ndikukulemberani zimenezi kuti ndikuwuzeni za amene akufuna kukusocheretsani. 27Koma za inu, kudzoza kumene munalandira kwa Khristu kuli mwa inu, ndipo sipafunika wina aliyense kuti akuphunzitseni. Koma kudzozako kumakuphunzitsani zinthu zonse, ndipo popeza kudzoza kwakeko nʼkoona osati konama, monga munaphunzira, khalani mwa Iyeyo.
Ana a Mulungu
28Tsopano ana okondedwa, khalani mwa Yesu, kuti pamene adzaonekera, ife tidzakhale otsimikizika mu mtima ndi wopanda manyazi pamaso pake akamadzabwera.
29Popeza mukudziwa kuti Khristu ndi wolungama, choncho mukudziwanso kuti aliyense amene amachita chilungamo ndi mwana wa Mulungu.
