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 for ever.
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.
Kristo Omuwolereza Waffe
12:1 a nny 12, 13, 28 b Bar 8:34; Beb 7:25Baana bange abaagalwa, ebintu bino mbibawandiikidde mulemenga okukola ekibi. Naye omuntu yenna bw’akolanga ekibi tulina omuwolereza eri Kitaffe, ye Yesu Kristo Omutuukirivu. 22:2 Bar 3:25Ye, ye mutango olw’ebibi byaffe, naye si lwa bibi byaffe byokka, wabula ne ku lw’ebibi by’abantu bonna. 32:3 Yk 14:15Bwe tugondera ebiragiro bye, kye kikakasa nti tumutegeera. 42:4 1Yk 1:6, 8Kyokka oyo agamba nti amutegeera n’atakuuma biragiro bye, aba mulimba, era si wa mazima. 52:5 a Yk 14:21, 23 b 1Yk 4:12Naye buli agondera ekigambo kye, ddala ng’okwagala kwa Katonda kutuukiridde mu muntu oyo. Era ekyo kye kitukakasisa nti tuli mu ye. 62:6 Mat 11:29; 1Pe 2:21Oyo agamba nti ali mu ye, asaana okutambula nga Mukama waffe yennyini bwe yatambula.
72:7 1Yk 3:11, 23; 2Yk 5, 6Abaagalwa, sibawandiikira kiragiro kiggya, naye mbawandiikira ekiragiro ekyabaawo edda, kye kyo kye mwawuliranga okuva ku lubereberye. 82:8 a Yk 13:34 b Bar 13:12 c Yk 1:9 d Bef 5:8; 1Bs 5:5Kyokka nno ekiragiro kino kye mbawandiikira kiggya era kikakasirizibwa mu ye ne mu mmwe. Kubanga ekizikiza kigenda kiggwaawo era omusana ogw’amazima kaakano gwaka.
9Omuntu agamba nti atambulira mu musana, kyokka ate n’akyawa owooluganda, aba akyali mu kizikiza. 102:10 1Yk 3:14Naye ayagala owooluganda aba ali mu musana, era talinaawo kimwesittaza. 112:11 Yk 12:35Kyokka oyo akyawa owooluganda, aba akyali mu kizikiza, era mu kizikiza ekyo mw’atambulira, nga tategeera gy’alaga, kubanga ekizikiza kimuzibye amaaso.
12Baana bange abaagalwa,
mbawandiikidde kubanga musonyiyiddwa ebibi byammwe olw’erinnya lye.
132:13 nny 14Era nammwe abakulu, mbawandiikidde
kubanga mwamutegeera okuva ku lubereberye.
Nammwe abavubuka, mbawandiikidde
kubanga muwangudde omubi.
Mmwe abaana abaagalwa bawandiikidde,
kubanga mutegedde Kitaffe.
142:14 a Bef 6:10 b Yk 5:38; 1Yk 1:10 c nny 13Mbawandiikidde mmwe abakulu
kubanga mutegedde oyo eyabaawo okuva ku lubereberye.
Mbawandiikidde mmwe abavubuka
kubanga muli ba maanyi
era n’ekigambo kya Katonda kibeera mu mmwe,
era muwangudde omubi.
Temwagalanga Nsi
152:15 a Bar 12:2 b Yak 4:4Temwagalanga nsi, wadde eby’ensi. Kubanga omuntu yenna ayagala ensi taliimu kwagala kwa Kitaffe. 162:16 a Bar 13:14 b Nge 27:20Kubanga buli eky’ensi: okwegomba kw’omubiri, n’okwegomba kw’amaaso, n’okwekuluntaza okw’obulamu, si bya Kitaffe, naye bya nsi. 172:17 1Ko 7:31Ensi n’okwegomba kwayo byonna biggwaawo, naye buli akola Katonda by’ayagala abeerera emirembe gyonna.
Omulabe wa Kristo
182:18 a nny 22; 1Yk 4:3; 2Yk 7 b 1Yk 4:1Baana bange, ekiseera ekisembayo kituuse. Mwategeezebwa ng’Omulabe wa Kristo bw’agenda okujja, era ne kaakano waliwo abalabe ba Kristo bangi, era kwe tutegeerera ng’ekiseera ekisembayo kituuse. 192:19 a Bik 20:30 b 1Ko 11:19Abantu abo tebaali baffe ddala, era kyebaava batwawukanako, kubanga singa baali baffe ddala bandisigalidde ddala mu ffe. Naye baatuvaako kiryoke kitegeerekekere ddala nga bonna si b’ewaffe.
202:20 a 2Ko 1:21 b Mak 1:24 c Yk 14:26Kyokka mmwe mwafukibwako amafuta okuva eri Omutukuvu, era mumanyi byonna. 212:21 2Pe 1:12; Yud 5Kyenva mbawandiikira, si lwa kubanga temumanyi mazima, naye lwa kubanga mugategeera era mumanyi okwawula eby’obulimba n’eby’amazima. 222:22 2Yk 7Omulimba y’ani, wabula oyo agamba nti Yesu si ye Kristo. Omuntu oyo yennyini ye Mulabe wa Kristo, era oyo takkiririza Kitaffe wadde Omwana. 232:23 Yk 8:19; 1Yk 4:15Kubanga buli atakkiriza Mwana era ne Kitaffe tamukkiriza. Buli ayatula Omwana aba alina ne Kitaffe.
242:24 Yk 14:23Ekituufu kye mwawulira okuva ku lubereberye kibeerenga mu mmwe. Bwe munaakuumanga ekyo kye mwawulira okuva ku lubereberye, Omwana awamu ne Kitaffe banaabeeranga wamu nammwe. 25Na kuno kwe kusuubiza kwe yatusuubiza: obulamu obutaggwaawo.
262:26 2Yk 7Mbawandiikidde bino olw’okubanga waliwo abo ababalimbalimba. 272:27 nny 20Kyokka okufukibwako amafuta kwe mwafuna okuva gy’ali kwali mu mmwe, noolwekyo temwetaaga muntu kubayigiriza. Wabula Mwoyo Mutukuvu y’abayigiriza buli kimu, era w’amazima si wa bulimba, kale mubeerenga mu ye nga bwe yabayigiriza.
282:28 a nny 1 b 1Yk 3:2 c 1Yk 4:17 d 1Bs 2:19Kaakano, abaana abaagalwa, munywerere mu Kristo, bw’alirabika tulyoke tube bagumu abatalikwatibwa nsonyi ku lunaku lw’aliddirako.
292:29 1Yk 3:7Nga bwe mumanyi nti Mukama mutuukirivu, kirungi mutegeere nti oyo akola eby’obutuukirivu ye mwana we.
