Omnis qui credit quoniam Jesus est Christus, ex Deo natus est. Et omnis qui diligit eum qui genuit, diligit et eum qui natus est ex eo.

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and to love the parent is to love his child.

In hoc cognoscimus quoniam diligamus natos Dei, cum Deum diligamus, et mandata ejus faciamus.

In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God, and keep his commandments.

If we love God, and keep his commandments, we can be sure of loving God’s children.

Hæc est enim caritas Dei, ut mandata ejus custodiamus: et mandata ejus gravia non sunt.

For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy.

Loving God means keeping his commandments, and these commandments of his are not a burden to us.

Quoniam omne quod natum est ex Deo, vincit mundum: et hæc est victoria, quæ vincit mundum, fides nostra.

For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcameth the world, our faith.

Whatever takes its origin from God must needs triumph over the world; our faith, that is the triumphant principle which triumphs over the world.

Quis est, qui vincit mundum, nisi qui credit quoniam Jesus est Filius Dei?

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

He alone triumphs over the world, who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Jesus Christus: non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Et Spiritus est, qui testificatur quoniam Christus est veritas.

This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth, that Christ is the truth.

He it is, Jesus Christ, whose coming has been made known to us by water and blood; water and blood as well, not water only; and we have the Spirit’s witness that Christ is the truth.

Quoniam tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in cælo: Pater, Verbum, et Spiritus Sanctus: et hi tres unum sunt.

And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.

Thus we have a threefold warrant in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, three who are yet one;

Et tres sunt, qui testimonium dant in terra: spiritus, et aqua, et sanguis: et hi tres unum sunt.

And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three are one.

and we have a threefold warrant on earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood, three witnesses that conspire in one.

Si testimonium hominum accipimus, testimonium Dei majus est: quoniam hoc est testimonium Dei, quod majus est, quoniam testificatus est de Filio suo.

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son.

We are ready to trust human authority; is not divine authority higher still? And we have that higher divine authority for this; God has borne witness to his own Son.

Qui credit in Filium Dei, habet testimonium Dei in se. Qui non credit Filio, mendacem facit eum: quia non credit in testimonium quod testificatus est Deus de Filio suo.

He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son, maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.

The man who believes in the Son of God has this divine attestation in his heart; the man who does not believe in the Son treats God as a liar; although God himself has borne witness to his Son, he has refused to believe in it.

Et hoc est testimonium, quoniam vitam æternam dedit nobis Deus: et hæc vita in Filio ejus est.

And this is the testimony, that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.

And what is the truth so attested? That God has given us eternal life, and that this life is to be found in his Son.

Qui habet Filium, habet vitam: qui non habet Filium, vitam non habet.

He that hath the Son, hath life. He that hath not the Son, hath not life.

To keep hold of the Son is to have life; he is lifeless, who has no hold of the Son of God.

Hæc scribo vobis ut sciatis quoniam vitam habetis æternam, qui creditis in nomine Filii Dei.

These things I write to you, that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.

There is my message to you; be sure that you have eternal life, you who go on believing in the name of the Son of God.

Et hæc est fiducia, quam habemus ad eum: quia quodcumque petierimus, secundum voluntatem ejus, audit nos.

And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That, whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us.

Such familiar confidence we have in him, that we believe he listens to us whenever we make any request of him in accordance with his will.

Et scimus quia audit nos quidquid petierimus: scimus quoniam habemus petitiones quas postulamus ab eo.

And we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask: we know that we have the petitions which we request of him.

We are sure that he listens to all our requests, sure that the requests we make of him are granted.

Qui scit fratrem suum peccare peccatum non ad mortem, petat, et dabitur ei vita peccanti non ad mortem. Est peccatum ad mortem: non pro illo dico ut roget quis.

He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask, and life shall be given to him, who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death: for that I say not that any man ask.

If a man knows his brother to be guilty, yet not of such a sin as brings death with it, he should pray for him; and, at his request, life will be granted to the brother who is sinning, yet not fatally. There is a sin which kills; it is not over this that I bid him fall to prayer.

Omnis iniquitas, peccatum est: et est peccatum ad mortem.

All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death.

Sin may be wrong-doing of any kind; not all sin is fatal.

Scimus quia omnis qui natus est ex Deo, non peccat: sed generatio Dei conservat eum, et malignus non tangit eum.

We know that whosoever is born of God, sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him, and the wicked one toucheth him not.

The man who has been born of God, we may be sure, keeps clear of sin; that divine origin protects him, and the evil one cannot touch him.

Scimus quoniam ex Deo sumus: et mundus totus in maligno positus est.

We know that we are of God, and the whole world is seated in wickedness.

And we can be sure that we are God’s children, though the whole world about us lies in the power of evil.

Et scimus quoniam Filius Dei venit, et dedit nobis sensum ut cognoscamus verum Deum, et simus in vero Filio ejus. Hic est verus Deus, et vita æterna.

And we know that the Son of God is come: and he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God, and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.

We can be sure, too, that the Son of God has come to us, and has given us a sense of truth; we were to recognize the true God, and to live in his true Son. He is true God, and eternal life.

Filioli, custodite vos a simulacris. Amen.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Beware, little children, of false gods.