1 John 3

1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

1 Tazameni ni pendo kuu namna gani alilotupa Baba, kwamba sisi tuitwe wana wa Mungu! Na ndivyo tulivyo. Kwa sababu hii ulimwengu haututambui, kwa kuwa haukumtambua yeye.

2 Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

2 Wapendwa, sasa tu wana wa Mungu, lakini bado haijadhihirika tutakavyokuwa, lakini twajua ya kwamba yeye atakapodhihirishwa, tutafanana naye, kwa maana tutamwona kama alivyo.

3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.

3 Kila mmoja mwenye matumaini haya ndani yake hujitakasa, kama vile yeye alivyo mtakatifu.

4 Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.

4 Kila mtu atendaye dhambi afanya uasi, kwa kuwa dhambi ni uasi.

5 But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

5 Lakini mwajua ya kuwa yeye alidhihirishwa ili aziondoe dhambi, wala ndani yake hamna dhambi.

6 No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

6 Kila mtu akaaye ndani yake hatendi dhambi. Kila mtu atendaye dhambi hakumwona yeye wala hakumtambua.

7 Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

7 Watoto wapendwa, mtu yeyote asiwadanganye. Kila mtu atendaye haki ana haki, kama yeye alivyo na haki.

8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

8 Yeye atendaye dhambi ni wa ibilisi, kwa sababu ibilisi amekuwa akitenda dhambi tangu mwanzo. Kwa kusudi hili Mwana wa Mungu alidhihirishwa, ili aziangamize kazi za ibilisi.

9 Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

9 Yeyote aliyezaliwa na Mungu hatendi dhambi, kwa sababu uzao wa Mungu wakaa ndani yake, wala hawezi kutenda dhambi kwa sababu amezaliwa na Mungu.

10 By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

10 Kwa jinsi hii tunaweza kujua dhahiri watoto wa Mungu na pia watoto wa ibilisi. Yeyote asiyetenda haki hatokani na Mungu, wala yeye asiyempenda ndugu yake.

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

11 Hili ndilo neno mlilolisikia tangu mwanzo: Kwamba imetupasa tupendane sisi kwa sisi.

12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

12 Msiwe kama Kaini aliyekuwa wa yule mwovu akamuua ndugu yake. Basi kwa nini alimuua? Ni kwa sababu matendo yake Kaini yalikuwa mabaya na ya ndugu yake yalikuwa ya haki.

13 So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

13 Ndugu zangu, ninyi msistaajabu kama ulimwengu ukiwachukia.

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

14 Sisi tunajua ya kwamba tumepita mautini kuingia uzimani, kwa sababu tunawapenda ndugu. Kila asiyempenda ndugu yake akaa mautini.

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

15 Yeyote amchukiaye ndugu yake ni muuaji, nanyi mwajua ya kwamba muuaji hana uzima wa milele ndani yake.

16 By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

16 Kwa namna hii twaweza kulijua pendo la Mungu: Kwa sababu Yesu Kristo aliutoa uhai wake kwa ajili yetu. Nasi imetupasa kuutoa uhai kwa ajili ya hao ndugu.

17 If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

17 Ikiwa mtu anavyo vitu vya ulimwengu huu na akamwona ndugu yake ni mhitaji lakini asimhurumie, upendo wa Mungu wakaaje ndani ya mtu huyo?

18 Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

18 Watoto wapendwa, tusipende kwa maneno au kwa ulimi bali kwa tendo na kweli.

19 And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:

19 Basi hivi ndivyo tutakavyoweza kujua ya kuwa sisi tu wa kweli na hivyo twaithibitisha mioyo yetu mbele za Mungu

20 Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

20 kila mara mioyo yetu inapotuhukumu. Kwa maana Mungu ni mkuu kuliko mioyo yetu, naye anajua kila kitu.

21 Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,

21 Wapendwa, kama mioyo yetu haituhukumu, tunao ujasiri mbele za Mungu,

22 and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.

22 lolote tuombalo, twalipokea kutoka kwake, kwa sababu tumezitii amri zake na kutenda yale yanayompendeza.

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.

23 Hii ndiyo amri yake: kwamba tuliamini Jina la Mwanawe, Yesu Kristo, na kupendana sisi kwa sisi kama yeye alivyotuamuru.

24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

24 Wale wote wanaozishika amri zake hukaa ndani yake na yeye ndani yao. Hivi ndivyo tunavyojua kwamba anakaa ndani yetu. Nasi twajua hili kwa njia ya Roho yule aliyetupa.