Quod fuit ab initio, quod audivimus, quod vidimus oculis nostris, quod perspeximus, et manus nostræ contrectaverunt de verbo vitæ:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life:

Our message concerns that Word, who is life; what he was from the first, what we have heard about him, what our own eyes have seen of him; what it was that met our gaze, and the touch of our hands.

et vita manifestata est, et vidimus, et testamur, et annuntiamus vobis vitam æternam, quæ erat apud Patrem, et apparuit nobis:

For the life was manifested; and we have seen and do bear witness, and declare unto you the life eternal, which was with the Father, and hath appeared to us:

Yes, life dawned; and it is as eye-witnesses that we give you news of that life, that eternal life, which ever abode with the Father and has dawned, now, on us.

quod vidimus et audivimus, annuntiamus vobis, ut et vos societatem habeatis nobiscum, et societas nostra sit cum Patre, et cum Filio ejus Jesu Christo.

That which we have seen and have heard, we declare unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship may be with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

This message about what we have seen and heard we pass on to you, so that you too may share in our fellowship. What is it, this fellowship of ours? Fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Et hæc scribimus vobis ut gaudeatis, et gaudium vestrum sit plenum.

And these things we write to you, that you may rejoice, and your joy may be full.

And if we are writing to you now, it is so that joy may be yours in full measure.

Et hæc est annuntiatio, quam audivimus ab eo, et annuntiamus vobis: quoniam Deus lux est, et tenebræ in eo non sunt ullæ.

And this is the declaration which we have heard from him, and declare unto you: That God is light, and in him there is no darkness.

What, then, is this message we have heard from him, and are passing on to you? That God is light, and no darkness can find any place in him;

Si dixerimus quoniam societatem habemus cum eo, et in tenebris ambulamus, mentimur, et veritatem non facimus.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

if we claim fellowship with him, when all the while we live and move in darkness, it is a lie; our whole life is an untruth.

Si autem in luce ambulamus sicut et ipse est in luce, societatem habemus ad invicem, et sanguis Jesu Christi, Filii ejus, emundat nos ab omni peccato.

But if we walk in the light, as he also is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

God dwells in light; if we too live and move in light, there is fellowship between us, and the blood of his Son Jesus Christ washes us clean from all sin.

Si dixerimus quoniam peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, et veritas in nobis non est.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Sin is with us; if we deny that, we are cheating ourselves; it means that truth does not dwell in us.

Si confiteamur peccata nostra: fidelis est, et justus, ut remittat nobis peccata nostra, et emundet nos ab omni iniquitate.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all iniquity.

No, it is when we confess our sins that he forgives us our sins, ever true to his word, ever dealing right with us, and all our wrong-doing is purged away.

Si dixerimus quoniam non peccavimus, mendacem facimus eum, et verbum ejus non est in nobis.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we deny that we have sinned, it means that we are treating him as a liar; it means that his word does not dwell in our hearts.