Filioli mei, hæc scribo vobis, ut non peccetis. Sed et si quis peccaverit, advocatum habemus apud Patrem, Jesum Christum justum:

My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the just:

Little children, the purpose of this letter is to keep you clear of sin. Meanwhile, if any of us does fall into sin, we have an advocate to plead our cause before the Father in the Just One, Jesus Christ.

et ipse est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris: non pro nostris autem tantum, sed etiam pro totius mundi.

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.

He, in his own person, is the atonement made for our sins, and not only for ours, but for the sins of the whole world.

Et in hoc scimus quoniam cognovimus eum, si mandata ejus observemus.

And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments.

Have we attained the knowledge of him? The test is, whether we keep his commandments;

Qui dicit se nosse eum, et mandata ejus non custodit, mendax est, et in hoc veritas non est.

He who saith that he knoweth him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

the man who claims knowledge of him without keeping his commandments is a liar; truth does not dwell in such a man as that.

Qui autem servat verbum ejus, vere in hoc caritas Dei perfecta est: et in hoc scimus quoniam in ipso sumus.

But he that keepeth his word, in him in very deed the charity of God is perfected; and by this we know that we are in him.

No, if a man keeps true to his word, then it is certain that the love of God has reached its full stature in him; that is what tells us that we are dwelling in him.

Qui dicit se in ipso manere, debet, sicut ille ambulavit, et ipse ambulare.

He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.

One who claims to dwell in him must needs live and move as he lived and moved.

Carissimi, non mandatum novum scribo vobis, sed mandatum vetus, quod habuistis ab initio. Mandatum vetus est verbum, quod audistis.

Dearly beloved, I write not a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard.

Beloved, I am not sending you a new commandment; it is an old commandment, which you were given from the very first; what was the message to which you listened long ago but this same commandment, now grown old?

Iterum mandatum novum scribo vobis, quod verum est et in ipso, et in vobis: quia tenebræ transierunt, et verum lumen jam lucet.

Again a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true both in him and in you; because the darkness is passed, and the true light now shineth.

And yet it is a new commandment I am sending you, now that it is verified in him and you; the darkness has passed away now, and true light shines instead.

Qui dicit se in luce esse, et fratrem suum odit, in tenebris est usque adhuc.

He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

He who claims enlightenment, and all the while hates his brother, is in darkness still.

Qui diligit fratrem suum, in lumine manet, et scandalum in eo non est.

He that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and there is no scandal in him.

It is the man who loves his brother that lives in light; no fear of stumbling haunts him.

Qui autem odit fratrem suum, in tenebris est, et in tenebris ambulat, et nescit quo eat: quia tenebræ obcæcaverunt oculos ejus.

But he that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth; because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

The man who hates his brother is in the dark, guides his steps in the dark without being able to tell where he is going; darkness has fallen, and blinded his eyes.

Scribo vobis, filioli, quoniam remittuntur vobis peccata propter nomen ejus.

I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

I call you little children; have not your sins been forgiven in his name?

Scribo vobis, patres, quoniam cognovistis eum, qui ab initio est. Scribo vobis, adolescentes, quoniam vicistis malignum.

I write unto you, fathers, because you have known him, who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one.

I call you fathers; have you not knowledge of one who was from the first? I call you young men; have you not gained victory over the evil one?

Scribo vobis, infantes, quoniam cognovistis patrem. Scribo vobis juvenes, quoniam fortes estis, et verbum Dei manet in vobis, et vicistis malignum.

I write unto you, babes, because you have known the Father. I write unto you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

I call you sons; you have learned to recognize the Father. I call you young men; you are strong, with God’s word dwelling in you always; you have gained your victory over the evil one.

Nolite diligere mundum, neque ea quæ in mundo sunt. Si quis diligit mundum, non est caritas Patris in eo:

Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.

Do not bestow your love on the world, and what the world has to offer; the lover of this world has no love of the Father in him.

quoniam omne quod est in mundo, concupiscentia carnis est, et concupiscentia oculorum, et superbia vitæ: quæ non est ex Patre, sed ex mundo est.

For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world.

What does the world offer? Only gratification of corrupt nature, gratification of the eye, the empty pomp of living; these things take their being from the world, not from the Father.

Et mundus transit, et concupiscentia ejus: qui autem facit voluntatem Dei manet in æternum.

And the world passeth away, and the concupiscence thereof: but he that doth the will of God, abideth for ever.

The world and its gratifications pass away; the man who does God’s will outlives them, for ever.

Filioli, novissima hora est: et sicut audistis quia antichristus venit, et nunc antichristi multi facti sunt; unde scimus, quia novissima hora est.

Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that Antichrist cometh, even now there are become many Antichrists: whereby we know that it is the last hour.

My sons, this is the last age of time. You have been told that Antichrist must needs come; and even now, to prove to us that it is the last stage of time, many Antichrists have appeared.

Ex nobis prodierunt, sed non erant ex nobis, nam, si fuissent ex nobis, permansissent utique nobiscum: sed ut manifesti sint quoniam non sunt omnes ex nobis.

They went out from us, but they were not of us. For if they had been of us, they would no doubt have remained with us; but that they may be manifest, that they are not all of us.

They came of our company, but they never belonged to our company; if they had belonged to it, they would have persevered at our side. As it is, they were destined to prove that there are some who are no true companions of ours.

Sed vos unctionem habetis a Sancto, et nostis omnia.

But you have the unction from the Holy One, and know all things.

With you, it is otherwise; the Holy One has anointed you, and now nothing is hidden from you,

Non scripsi vobis quasi ignorantibus veritatem, sed quasi scientibus eam: et quoniam omne mendacium ex veritate non est.

I have not written to you as to them that know not the truth, but as to them that know it: and that no lie is of the truth.

so that I am not writing to you as to men from whom the truth is hidden. Rather, I am appealing to your knowledge of it; the truth, after all, cannot give birth to a lie.

Quis est mendax, nisi is qui negat quoniam Jesus est Christus? Hic est antichristus, qui negat Patrem, et Filium.

Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father, and the Son.

To whom do we give the lie, if not to him who tells us that Jesus is not the Christ? Such a man is Antichrist, disowning as he does both the Father and the Son.

Omnis qui negat Filium, nec Patrem habet: qui confitetur Filium, et Patrem habet.

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son, hath the Father also.

To disown the Son is to have no claim to the Father; it is by acknowledging the Son that we lay claim to the Father too.

Vos quod audistis ab initio, in vobis permaneat: si in vobis permanserit quod audistis ab initio, et vos in Filio et Patre manebitis.

As for you, let that which you have heard from the beginning, abide in you. If that abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning, you also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father.

Enough for you, that the message which was first brought you should dwell in you. If that first message dwells in you, you too will dwell in the Son, and in the Father.

Et hæc est repromissio, quam ipse pollicitus est nobis, vitam æternam.

And this is the promise which he hath promised us, life everlasting.

He himself has made us a promise, the promise of eternal life.

Hæc scripsi vobis de his, qui seducant vos.

These things have I written to you, concerning them that seduce you.

So much I have written about those who are trying to mislead you.

Et vos unctionem, quam accepistis ab eo, maneat in vobis. Et non necesse habetis ut aliquis doceat vos: sed sicut unctio ejus docet vos de omnibus, et verum est, et non est mendacium. Et sicut docuit vos: manete in eo.

And as for you, let the unction, which you have received from him, abide in you. And you have no need that any man teach you; but as his unction teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie. And as it hath taught you, abide in him.

Meanwhile, the influence of his anointing lives on in you, so that you have no need of teaching; no lesson his influence gives you can be a lie, they are all true. Follow those lessons, and dwell in him.

Et nunc, filioli, manete in eo: ut cum apparuerit, habeamus fiduciam, et non confundamur ab eo in adventu ejus.

And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be confounded by him at his coming.

Yes, little children, dwell in him, so that when he appears we may greet him confidently, instead of being ashamed at his presence.

Si scitis quoniam justus est, scitote quoniam et omnis, qui facit justitiam, ex ipso natus est.

If you know, that he is just, know ye, that every one also, who doth justice, is born of him.

You are sure that he is just; be sure, then, that whoever does right is born of him.