1 Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are. But since the people of this world did not know who Christ is, they don't know who we are. 2 My dear friends, we are already God's children, though what we will be hasn't yet been seen. But we do know when Christ returns, we will be like him, because we will see him as he truly is. 3 This hope makes us keep ourselves holy, just as Christ is holy.
4 Everyone who sins breaks God's law, because sin is the same as breaking God's law. 5 You know Christ came to take away our sins. He isn't sinful, 6 and people who stay one in their hearts with him won't keep on sinning. If they do keep on sinning, they don't know Christ, and they have never seen him.
7 Children, don't be fooled. Anyone who does right is good, just like Christ himself. 8 Anyone who keeps on sinning belongs to the devil. He has sinned from the beginning, but the Son of God came to destroy all that he has done. 9 God's children cannot keep on being sinful. His life-giving power lives in them and makes them his children, so they cannot keep on sinning. 10 You can tell God's children from the devil's children, because those who belong to the devil refuse to do right or to love each other.
Love Each Other
11 From the beginning you were told we must love each other. 12 Don't be like Cain, who belonged to the devil and murdered his own brother. Why did he murder him? He did it because his brother was good, and he was evil. 13 My friends, don't be surprised if the people of this world hate you. 14 Our love for each other proves we have gone from death to life. But if you don't love each other, you are still under the power of death.
15 If you hate each other, you are murderers, and we know murderers do not have eternal life. 16 We know what love is because Jesus gave his life for us. This is why we must give our lives for each other. 17 If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God. 18 Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.
19 When we love others, we know we belong to the truth, and we feel at ease in the presence of God. 20 But even if we don't feel at ease, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him. 22 He will give us whatever we ask, because we obey him and do what pleases him. 23 God wants us to have faith in his Son Jesus Christ and to love each other. This is also what Jesus taught us to do. 24 If we obey God's commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit he has given us is proof that we are one with him.
Bana be Ndzimu
1 Bonani kuti Tate bakatida nge ludo gungapani, kwatinodang'wa bana be Ndzimu! Koga malebeswa tibana bawo. Shango aitotiziba, ngobe aizotongo ziba Ndzimu. 2 Badiwa, tibana be Ndzimu sangwenu. Akuthu kukatjena kuti towobeni, koga toziba kuti nsi waanozha towobe tinga iye, nge kuti towombona ali sekwa agele. 3 Mmwe ne mmwe unogalabgwe munli nge zila iyeyi unozwitjenapadza ebe mbuyanana sa iye ali mbuyanana.
4 Mmwe ne mmwe unotjinya unotjuluka nlayo; ngobe jinyo hwutjuluka nlayo. 5 Moziba kuti Jesu wakazhila kudusa matjinyo edu, ngono iye nge kukwe aana jinyo. 6 Akuna unontjilila unodwilila ngotjinya. Iye unodwilila nge kutjinya aazombona kene kuli kunziba.
7 Bana bangu, kushaye wamutjebela. Iye unothama ndulamo wakalulwama koga sa Kirisiti akalulwama. 8 Iye unotjinya nge wa Satani, ngobe Satani wakatjinya kudwa mu kutangisa. Nkololo we Ndzimu wakazhila kuwolobesa mishingo ya Satani.
9 Akuna mwana we Ndzimu unotjinya, ngobe mbumbiko ye Ndzimu igele munli, ngono aangatjinye ngobe mwana we Ndzimu. 10 Woku ndiko sekwa tinoziba bana be Ndzimu ne bana ba Satani; Iye unothama tjisakalulwama ate ali we Ndzimu, naiye usingade ikamu tjitje.
Danani
11 Ndebeleko yamakahwa mu kutangisa, nge inoti tidane. 12 Tisitongonga Kaini wakabe ali we mbiimbi ngono kabulaya nnung'una uwe. Wakabe embulayilani? Wakabe embulaya ngobe mishingo iye yakabe ili mibi, ye nnung'una uwe yakalulwama.
13 Musitongo tjenama zwikamu, ha shango imubenga. 14 Toziba kuti takabhuda mu lufu tikangina mu butjilo, ngobe toda zwikamu zwedu. Iye usina ludo utjimu lufu. 15 Iye unobenga ikamu tjitje mbulayi, ngono moziba kuti akuna mbulayi una butjilo gusingapele. 16 Toziba kuti ludo ini nge zila eyi; Kirisiti wakatifila. Ndizo takafanila, naswibo kufila zwikamu zwedu. 17 Iye unobe ana thundu ye shango, eti ebona ikamu tjitje tjishaka bhatsho, kalamba kutjibhatsha, ludo gwe Ndzimu gungagala munli tjini? 18 Bana bangu, ngatisilebelekeni ngekwe ludo koga, ngatidane nge malebeswa muna tjatinothama.
Kukulumbidzika mbeli kwe Ndzimu
19 Ha tina ludo gwakajali, ndiko kwatingaziba kuti timu zila ye malebeswa, ngono towosima ha tili mile mbeli kwe Ndzimu. 20 Ha kuli kuti mimoyo yedu inotitilika nlandu, Ndzimu nkulu paili, kakale unoziba tjimwe ne tjimwe. 21 Badiwa, ha mimoyo yedu isingatitilike nlandu, takasima mbeli kwe Ndzimu. 22 Toamutjila ku uli kene ilini tjatinokumbila, ngobe tolondolodza milayo yawo kakale mishingo yedu inoushathisa. 23 Ngono nlayo wawo unoti, tigalemoyo mu zina le Nkololo wawo Jesu Kirisiti kakale tidane koga sekwa wakatidwa. 24 Bose banolondolodza milayo yawo bang'ompela nawo, na iwo nng'ompela nabo. Toziba kuti nng'ompela naswi, tizibisiwa nge Meya yawakatipa.