1 kaJohane 4

₁Bathandekayo, maningakholwa yibo bonke omoya, kepha hlolani omoya ukuthi bangabakaNkulunkulu yini; ngokuba baningi abaprofethi bamanga abaphumele ezweni. ₂Yazini uMoya kaNkulunkulu ngalokhu: bonke omoya abavuma ukuthi uJesu Kristu ufikile enyameni bangabakaNkulunkulu; ₃lowo moya ongamvumi uJesu akasiye okaNkulunkulu; lowo ungowomphikukristu enizwe ngaye ukuthi uyeza, nakalokhu usefikile ezweni.

₄NingabakaNkulunkulu nina bantwanyana, nibahlulile, ngokuba lowo okini mkhulu kunaye osezweni. ₅Bona bangabezwe; ngalokho bakhuluma okwezwe, nezwe liyabezwa. ₆Thina singabakaNkulunkulu; omaziyo uNkulunkulu uyasizwa, ongesiye okaNkulunkulu akasizwa. Ngalokho siyamazi umoya weqiniso nomoya wokuduka.

₇Bathandekayo, masithandane, ngokuba uthando luvela kuNkulunkulu, nabo bonke abathandayo bazelwe nguNkulunkulu, bayamazi uNkulunkulu. ₈Ongathandiyo akamazi uNkulunkulu, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uluthando. ₉Uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwabonakaliswa kithi ngalokho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wathumela ezweni iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba siphile ngayo. ₁₀Uthando lukulokhu, kungesikho ukuthi thina samthanda uNkulunkulu, kepha ukuthi yena wasithanda thina, wathuma iNdodana yakhe ibe yinhlawulo ngezono zethu. ₁₁Bathandekayo, uma uNkulunkulu wasithanda kanjalo, nathi simelwe ukuthandana. ₁₂UNkulunkulu akazange abonwe muntu; uma sithandana, uNkulunkulu uhlala kithi, nothando lwakhe luphelele kithi.

₁₃Ngalokho siyazi ukuthi sihlala kuye, naye kithi, ngokuba usiphile okukaMoya wakhe. ₁₄Thina sibonile, siyafakaza ukuthi uYise wayithuma iNdodana ibe nguMsindisi wezwe. ₁₅Lowo ovuma ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uhlala kuye, naye kuNkulunkulu. ₁₆Thina siyalwazi, sikholwa yilo lolu thando uNkulunkulu analo kithina. UNkulunkulu uluthando, nohlala othandweni uhlala kuNkulunkulu, noNkulunkulu uhlala kuye. ₁₇Ngalokho uthando luphelelisiwe kithi, ukuze sibe nesibindi ngosuku lokwahlulelwa, ngokuba njengalokhu enjalo yena, sinjalo nathi kuleli zwe. ₁₈Akukho ukwesaba othandweni, kepha uthando olupheleleyo luyaxosha ukwesaba, ngokuba ukwesaba kunesijeziso, nowesabayo akaphelele othandweni.

₁₉Thina siyathanda, ngokuba yena wasithanda kuqala. ₂₀Uma umuntu esho ukuthi: “Ngiyamthanda uNkulunkulu,” kepha ezonda umzalwane wakhe, ungumqambimanga; ngokuba ongathandi umzalwane wakhe ambonileyo angemthande uNkulunkulu angambonanga. ₂₁Yebo, lo myalo sinawo, uvela kuNkulunkulu, wokuthi othanda uNkulunkulu makathande nomzalwane wakhe.