Eyokuqala EkaJohane
4 Bathandekayo, lingaze lakholwa wonke amazwi aphefumulelweyo+ kodwa wahloleni ukuze libone ukuthi avela kuNkulunkulu yini+ ngoba sebebanengi abaphrofethi bamanga emhlabeni.+
2 Nansi indlela elizakwazi ngayo ukuthi ilizwi eliphefumulelweyo livela kuNkulunkulu: Loba yiliphi ilizwi eliphefumulelweyo elivuma ukuthi uJesu Khristu weza emhlabeni engumuntu* livela kuNkulunkulu.+ 3 Kodwa wonke amazwi aphefumulelweyo angamvumiyo uJesu kawaveli kuNkulunkulu.+ Phezu kwalokho, leli yilo ilizwi eliphefumulelweyo elikhulunywa ngumphikukhristu elezwa ukuthi liyeza+ futhi eselikhona khathesi emhlabeni.+
4 Bantwanyana, lina livela kuNkulunkulu njalo selibanqobile+ ngoba lowo omanyene lani+ mkhulu kulalowo omanyene lomhlaba.+ 5 Bona bavela emhlabeni,+ yikho bekhuluma okuvela emhlabeni futhi umhlaba uyabalalela.+ 6 Thina sivela kuNkulunkulu. Loba ngubani omaziyo uNkulunkulu uyasilalela+ kodwa loba ngubani ongaveli kuNkulunkulu kasilaleli.+ Le yiyo indlela esehlukanisa ngayo ilizwi eliphefumulelweyo eliliqiniso lelizwi eliphefumulelweyo elingamanga.+
7 Bathandekayo, kasiqhubekeni sithandana+ ngoba uthando luvela kuNkulunkulu futhi wonke umuntu olothando uzelwe nguNkulunkulu njalo uyamazi uNkulunkulu.+ 8 Loba ngubani ongelathando kakamazi uNkulunkulu ngoba uNkulunkulu uluthando.+ 9 Nansi indlela okwakhanya ngayo ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyasithanda: UNkulunkulu wathuma iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa+ ukuthi ize emhlabeni ukuze sithole ukuphila ngayo.+ 10 Nanku okutshiwo luthando lolu: Ayisikho ukuthi thina yithi esamthandayo uNkulunkulu kodwa yena nguye owasithandayo wathuma iNdodana yakhe ukuthi izokuba ngumhlatshelo+ wezono zethu+ owenza sibuyisane laye.
11 Bathandekayo, nxa uNkulunkulu wasithanda ngalindlela, lathi silomlandu wokuthi sithandane.+ 12 Kakho owake wabona uNkulunkulu loba nini.+ Nxa singaqhubeka sithandana, uNkulunkulu uzahlala ekithi lothando lwakhe luzakwenziwa luphelele kithi. + 13 Okwenza sikwazi ukuthi sihlala simanyene laye lokuthi laye uhlala emanyene lathi yikuthi usinike umoya wakhe. 14 Phezu kwalokho, thina sizibonele futhi siyafakaza ukuthi uBaba uyithumile iNdodana yakhe ukuthi ibe ngumsindisi womhlaba.+ 15 Loba ngubani ovumayo ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu,+ uNkulunkulu uhlala emanyene lalowomuntu futhi laye uhlala emanyene loNkulunkulu.+ 16 Sesikwazi njalo sesikholwa ukuthi uNkulunkulu uyasithanda.+
UNkulunkulu uluthando+ futhi lowo ohlala elothando uhlala emanyene loNkulunkulu njalo uNkulunkulu uhlala emanyene laye.+ 17 Ngalindlela uthando selwenziwe lwaphelela kithi, ukuze ngosuku lokwahlulela sibe lenkululeko yokukhuluma*+ ngoba njengoba lowo enjalo, lathi sinjalo emhlabeni lo. 18 Ethandweni akulakwesaba.+ Uthando olupheleleyo luxotsha ukwesaba ngoba ukwesaba kuyasivimbela. Nxa umuntu esesaba, uthando lwakhe alukapheleliswa.+ 19 Siyathanda ngoba yena wasithanda kuqala.+
20 Nxa umuntu esithi, “Ngiyamthanda uNkulunkulu,” kodwa ezonda umfowabo, uqamba amanga+ ngoba lowo ongamthandiyo umfowabo+ ambonayo ngeke amthande uNkulunkulu angakaze ambone.+ 21 Silomlayo lo ovela kuye, othi loba ngubani othanda uNkulunkulu kufanele athande lomfowabo.+