1 John 3
1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world does not know us, because it did not know him.
Yeka ubukhulu bothando uBaba asinika lona, ukuba sibizwe ngokuthi singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu! Njalo lokho yikho esiyikho! Okwenza umhlaba thina ungasazi yikuthi laye kawumazanga.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is.
Bangane abathandekayo, khathesi singabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, njalo lokho esizakuba yikho akukaziwa. Kodwa siyakwazi ukuthi lapho ebonakala sizakuba njengaye ngoba sizambona njengoba enjalo.
3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.
Wonke umuntu olethemba leli ngaphakathi kwakhe uyazihlambulula njengoba laye ehlambulukile.
4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.
Umuntu wonke owenza izono wephula umthetho; ngempela isono yikungabi lomthetho.
5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him.
Kodwa liyakwazi ukuthi wabonakala ukuze asuse izono zethu. Njalo kuye akulasono.
6 Whoever remains in him does not sin. Whoever sins has not seen him and does not know him.
Kakho ohlala kuye oqhubeka esona. Kakho oqhubeka esona owambonayo kumbe omaziyo.
7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
Bantwana abathandekayo, lingavumeli muntu eledukisa. Lowo oyenza okulungileyo ulungile, njengoba laye elungile.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.
Lowo owonayo ngokaSathane ngoba uSathane wona kusukela ekuqaleni. INdodana kaNkulunkulu yabonakala ukuze ichithe imisebenzi kaSathane.
9 Whoever is born of God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
Kakho ozelwe ngokukaNkulunkulu ozaqhubeka esona, ngoba inhlanyelo kaNkulunkulu ihlala ikubo, abasoze baqhubeke besona ngoba bazelwe nguNkulunkulu.
10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who does not love his brother.
Sibazi ngalokhu ukuthi abantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngobani kanye lokuthi abangabantwana bakaSathane ngobani. Lowo ongenzi okulungileyo kasuye mntakaNkulunkulu, loba lowo ongamthandiyo umfowabo lodadewabo.
11 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another—
Leli yilizwi elalizwa kusukela ekuqaleni: Kumele sithandane.
12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.
Lingabi njengoKhayini, owayengokaSathane wasebulala umfowabo. Wambulalelani na? Ngoba ezakhe izenzo zazizimbi ezomfowabo zilungile.
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
Lingamangali bazalwane bami nxa umhlaba ulizonda.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love his brother remains in death.
Siyakwazi ukuthi sesidlulile ekufeni saya ekuphileni, ngoba siyabathanda abazalwane bethu. Lowo ongathandiyo ulokhu esekufeni.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has consummate (aiōnios g166) life remaining in him.
Lowo ozonda umzalwane wakhe ungumbulali, njalo liyakwazi ukuthi akulambulali olokuphila okungapheliyo kuye. (aiōnios g166)
16 By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
Nanku esazi ngakho ukuthi uthando luyini: UJesu Khristu wadela ukuphila kwakhe ngenxa yethu. Lathi kufanele sidele ukuphila kwethu ngenxa yabazalwane bethu.
17 But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?
Nxa umuntu enothile abone umzalwane wakhe oswelayo, kodwa angabi lesihawu kuye, uthando lukaNkulunkulu lungaba kuye kanjani na?
18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.
Bantwana abathandekayo, kasingathandi ngamazwi loba ulimi kuphela kodwa ngezenzo langeqiniso.
19 And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him,
Ngalokhu sazi kanje ukuthi singabeqiniso lokuthi sizibeka njani inhliziyo zethu ekuphumuleni phambi kwakhe
20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
lapho inhliziyo zethu zisilahla. Ngoba uNkulunkulu mkhulu kakhulu kulezinhliziyo zethu njalo wazi izinto zonke.
21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness toward God;
Bazalwane abathandekayo, nxa inhliziyo zethu zingasilahli, silesibindi phambi kukaNkulunkulu
22 so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.
njalo samukela kuye konke esikucelayo ngoba siyayilalela imilayo yakhe senze okumthokozisayo.
23 This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.
Nanku umlayo wakhe: ukukholwa ebizweni leNdodana yakhe, uJesu Khristu, lokuthandana njengokusilaya kwakhe.
24 He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.
Labo abalalela imilayo yakhe bahlala kuye, laye kubo. Njalo sikwazi ngalokhu ukuthi uhlala kithi: Sikwazi ngoMoya asinika yena.
