Epistula I Ioannis, 3

1. Videte qualem caritatem dedit nobis Pater, ut filii Dei nomine mur, et sumus! Propter hoc mundus non cognoscit nos, quia non cognovit eum.

1. See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

2. Carissimi, nunc filii Dei sumus, et nondum manifestatum est quid erimus; scimus quoniam, cum ipse apparuerit, similes ei erimus, quoniam videbimus eum, sicuti est.

2. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

3. Et omnis, qui habet spem hanc in eo, purificat se, sicut ille purus est.

3. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

4. Omnis, qui facit peccatum, et iniquitatem facit, quia peccatum est iniquitas.

4. Every one who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.

5. Et scitis quoniam ille apparuit, ut peccata tolleret, et peccatum in eo non est.

5. You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.

6. Omnis, qui in eo manet, non peccat; omnis, qui peccat, non vidit eum nec novit eum.

6. No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him.

7. Filioli, nemo vos seducat. Qui facit iustitiam, iustus est, sicut ille iustus est;

7. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does right is righteous, as he is righteous.

8. qui facit peccatum, ex Diabolo est, quoniam a principio Diabolus peccat. Propter hoc apparuit Filius Dei, ut dissolvat opera Diaboli.

8. He who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

9. Omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit, quoniam semen ipsius in eo manet; et non potest peccare, quoniam ex Deo natus est.

9. No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.

10. In hoc manifesti sunt filii Dei et filii Diaboli: omnis, qui non facit iustitiam, non est ex Deo, et qui non diligit fratrem suum.

10. By this it may be seen who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not do right is not of God, nor he who does not love his brother.

11. Quoniam haec est annuntiatio, quam audistis ab initio, ut diligamus alterutrum.

11. For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

12. Non sicut Cain: ex Maligno erat et occidit fratrem suum. Et propter quid occidit eum? Quoniam opera eius maligna erant, fratris autem eius iusta.

12. and not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.

13. Nolite mirari, fratres, si odit vos mundus.

13. Do not wonder, brethren, that the world hates you.

14. Nos scimus quoniam transivimus de morte in vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres; qui non diligit, manet in morte.

14. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.

15. Omnis, qui odit fratrem suum, homicida est, et scitis quoniam omnis homicida non habet vitam aeternam in semetipso manentem.

15. Any one who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16. In hoc novimus caritatem, quoniam ille pro nobis animam suam posuit; et nos debemus pro fratribus animas ponere.

16. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

17. Qui habuerit substantiam mundi et viderit fratrem suum necesse habere et clauserit viscera sua ab eo, quomodo caritas Dei manet in eo?

17. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

18. Filioli, non diligamus verbo nec lingua sed in opere et veritate.

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

19. In hoc cognoscemus quoniam ex veritate sumus, et in conspectu eius placabimus corda nostra,

19. By this we shall know that we are of the truth, and reassure our hearts before him

20. quoniam si reprehenderit nos cor, maior est Deus corde nostro et cognoscit omnia.

20. whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

21. Carissimi, si cor nostrum non reprehenderit nos, fiduciam habemus ad Deum

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

22. et, quodcumque petierimus, accipimus ab eo, quoniam mandata eius custodimus et ea, quae sunt placita coram eo, facimus.

22. and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

23. Et hoc est mandatum eius, ut credamus nomini Filii eius Iesu Christi et diligamus alterutrum, sicut dedit mandatum nobis.

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

24. Et, qui servat mandata eius, in ipso manet, et ipse in eo; et in hoc cognoscimus quoniam manet in nobis, ex Spiritu, quem nobis dedit.

24. All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.