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.
12:1 1Athe 2:11; Arom 8:34Twana twakwa nyendete, ngũmwandĩkĩra maũndũ maya nĩgeetha mũtikehagie. No mũndũ o na ũ angĩĩhia-rĩ, nĩ tũrĩ na mũtũciirĩrĩri harĩ Ithe witũ, na nĩwe Jesũ Kristũ, Ũrĩa Mũthingu. 22:2 Arom 3:25; Math 1:21We nĩwe igongona rĩa kũhoroheria mehia maitũ, na to mehia maitũ moiki, no nĩ mehia ma andũ othe a thĩ.
3Na ithuĩ nĩtũmenyaga atĩ nĩtũmũũĩ, angĩkorwo nĩtwathĩkagĩra maathani make. 42:4 1Joh 1:6, 8Mũndũ ũrĩa uugaga atĩrĩ, “Nĩndĩmũũĩ,” no ndekaga ũrĩa aathanaga-rĩ, ũcio nĩ wa maheeni, na ũhoro wa ma ndũrĩ thĩinĩ wake. 52:5 1Joh 4:12No mũndũ o wothe angĩathĩkĩra kiugo gĩake-rĩ, ti-itherũ wendo wa Ngai nĩmũkinyanĩru kũna thĩinĩ wake. Ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo ũtũmaga tũmenye atĩ tũrĩ thĩinĩ wake: 6Ũrĩa wothe uugaga atĩ nĩatũire thĩinĩ wake-rĩ, no nginya athiĩ na mĩthiĩre ta ĩrĩa Jesũ aarĩ nayo.
72:7 2Joh 5, 6Arata akwa endwa, ti rĩathani rĩerũ ndĩramwandĩkĩra, no nĩ rĩathani rĩrĩa rĩa tene, o rĩrĩa mũtũire narĩo kuuma o kĩambĩrĩria. Rĩathani rĩĩrĩ rĩa tene nĩrĩo ndũmĩrĩri ĩrĩa mũiguĩte. 82:8 Joh 1:9; Aef 5:8No rĩu nĩ rĩathani rĩerũ ndĩramwandĩkĩra; naguo ũhoro wa ma warĩo wonekaga thĩinĩ wake na thĩinĩ wanyu, tondũ nduma no ĩrathira, naguo ũtheri ũrĩa wa ma nĩũrĩkĩtie kwara.
9Mũndũ ũrĩa uugaga atĩ arĩ ũtheri-inĩ no nĩathũire mũrũ kana mwarĩ wa ithe-rĩ, ũcio arĩ o nduma-inĩ. 102:10 1Joh 3:14Ũrĩa wothe wendete mũrũ na mwarĩ wa ithe atũũraga ũtheri-inĩ, na thĩinĩ wake gũtirĩ ũndũ ũngĩtũma ahĩngwo. 11No ũrĩa wothe ũthũire mũrũ kana mwarĩ wa ithe, arĩ nduma-inĩ na athiiaga na nduma; ndamenyaga kũrĩa arathiĩ, tondũ nduma nĩĩmũtuĩte mũtumumu.
122:12 1Joh 2:1; Joh 1:1Ndĩramwandĩkĩra, inyuĩ twana twakwa nyendete,
tondũ nĩmũrekeirwo mehia manyu nĩ ũndũ wa rĩĩtwa rĩake.
13Ndĩramwandĩkĩra, inyuĩ maithe,
tondũ nĩmũmenyete ũrĩa warĩ kuo kuuma o kĩambĩrĩria.
Ndĩramwandĩkĩra, inyuĩ andũ ethĩ,
tondũ nĩmũtooretie ũrĩa mũũru.
Ndĩramwandĩkĩra, inyuĩ twana twakwa nyendete,
tondũ nĩmũmenyete Ithe witũ.
142:14 Joh 5:38; Aef 6:10Ndĩramwandĩkĩra, inyuĩ maithe,
tondũ nĩmũmenyete ũrĩa warĩ kuo kuuma o kĩambĩrĩria.
Ndĩramwandĩkĩra, inyuĩ andũ ethĩ,
tondũ mũrĩ na hinya,
nakĩo kiugo kĩa Ngai nĩgĩtũũraga thĩinĩ wanyu,
na nĩmũtooretie ũrĩa mũũru.
Mũtikende Thĩ
152:15 Arom 12:2; Jak 4:4Mũtikende thĩ kana kĩndũ o gĩothe kĩrĩ thĩinĩ wa thĩ. Mũndũ o na ũ angĩkorwo nĩendete thĩ-rĩ, wendo wa Ithe witũ ndũrĩ thĩinĩ wake. 162:16 Kĩam 3:6; Thim 27:20Nĩgũkorwo ũndũ o wothe ũrĩ gũkũ thĩ, na nĩmo merirĩria ma mwĩrĩ, na merirĩria ma maitho make, na mwĩraho wa kĩrĩa arĩ nakĩo na ũrĩa ekaga: maũndũ macio matiumanĩte na Ithe witũ, no moimanĩte na thĩ. 172:17 Ahib 12:27; Math 12:50Thĩ na merirĩria mayo nĩithiraga, no mũndũ ũrĩa wĩkaga ũrĩa Ngai endaga atũũraga nginya tene.
Kwĩmenyerera Mũmena-Kristũ
182:18 1Joh 4:3Twana twakwa nyendete, rĩĩrĩ nĩ ithaa rĩa kũrigĩrĩria; na o ta ũrĩa mũiguĩte atĩ mũmena-Kristũ nĩarooka, o na rĩu amena-Kristũ aingĩ nĩmokĩte. Na nĩ ũndũ ũcio nĩtũmenyete atĩ rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo ithaa rĩa kũrigĩrĩria. 192:19 1Akor 11:19Kuuma nĩmoimire kũrĩ ithuĩ, no matiarĩ aitũ. Nĩgũkorwo mangĩarĩ aitũ-rĩ, nĩmangĩaikarire hamwe na ithuĩ; no gũthiĩ kwao kuonanirie atĩ gũtiarĩ o na ũmwe wao warĩ witũ.
202:20 2Akor 1:21; Mar 1:24; Jer 31:34No rĩrĩ, inyuĩ mũrĩ ahake maguta nĩ Ũrĩa Mũtheru, na inyuĩ inyuothe nĩmũũĩ ũhoro wa ma. 21Ndĩramwandĩkĩra tondũ mũtiũĩ ũhoro wa ma, no ngũmwandĩkĩra tondũ nĩmũũĩ ũhoro wa ma, na tondũ gũtirĩ ũhoro wa maheeni uumanaga na ũhoro wa ma. 222:22 1Joh 4:3Nũũ ũkĩrĩ mũheenania? Nĩ mũndũ ũrĩa ũkaanaga atĩ Jesũ nĩwe Kristũ. Mũndũ ta ũcio nĩwe mũmena-Kristũ: mũndũ ũcio nĩakaanaga Ithe o na Mũriũ. 23Gũtirĩ mũndũ ũkaanaga Mũriũ ũkĩrĩ na Ithe witũ; ũrĩa wothe uumbũraga Mũriũ arĩ na Ithe o nake.
242:24 Joh 14:23Mwĩmenyererei nĩguo ũndũ ũrĩa mũrĩkĩtie kũigua kuuma o kĩambĩrĩria ũikarage thĩinĩ wanyu. Ũndũ ũcio ũngĩikara thĩinĩ wanyu-rĩ, o na inyuĩ mũrĩikaraga thĩinĩ wa Mũriũ, o na mũrĩ thĩinĩ wa Ithe. 25Na ũndũ ũyũ nĩguo atwĩrĩire: o muoyo wa tene na tene.
26Ndĩramwandĩkĩra maũndũ maya makoniĩ ũhoro wa andũ arĩa marageria kũmũhĩtithia. 272:27 1Joh 2:20; 1Akor 2:12Na inyuĩ-rĩ, maguta marĩa mwahakirwo nĩwe-rĩ, megũtũũra thĩinĩ wanyu, na mũtibatairio nĩ mũndũ o na ũ wa kũmũruta ũhoro. No rĩrĩ, o ta ũrĩa ihaka rĩake rĩa maguta rĩmũrutaga ũhoro wa maũndũ mothe, na o ta ũrĩa rĩrĩ rĩa ma, na ti rĩa maheeni: o ta ũrĩa rĩmũrutĩĩte-rĩ, tũũrai thĩinĩ wake.
Ciana cia Ngai
282:28 1Joh 3:2; Aef 3:12Na rĩu, inyuĩ twana twakwa nyendete, kĩrĩrĩriai gũikara thĩinĩ wake nĩgeetha rĩrĩa akoonithanio tũgaakorwo tũrĩ na ũũmĩrĩru na tũtegũconoka mbere yake hĩndĩ ĩrĩa agooka.
292:29 1Joh 3:7; Joh 1:13Angĩkorwo nĩmũũĩ atĩ we nĩ mũthingu, kĩmenyei atĩ mũndũ ũrĩa wĩkaga maũndũ marĩa magĩrĩire nĩaciarĩtwo nĩwe.
