1 kaJohane 4:7-19

Bathandekayo, masithandane, ngokuba uthando luvela kuNkulunkulu, nabo bonke abathandayo bazelwe nguNkulunkulu, bayamazi uNkulunkulu. Ongathandiyo akamazi uNkulunkulu, ngokuba uNkulunkulu uluthando. Uthando lukaNkulunkulu lwabonakaliswa kithi ngalokho ukuthi uNkulunkulu wathumela ezweni iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa ukuba siphile ngayo. Uthando lukulokhu, kungesikho ukuthi thina samthanda uNkulunkulu, kepha ukuthi yena wasithanda thina, wathuma iNdodana yakhe ibe yinhlawulo ngezono zethu. Bathandekayo, uma uNkulunkulu wasithanda kanjalo, nathi simelwe ukuthandana. UNkulunkulu akazange abonwe muntu; uma sithandana, uNkulunkulu uhlala kithi, nothando lwakhe luphelele kithi. Ngalokho siyazi ukuthi sihlala kuye, naye kithi, ngokuba usiphile okukaMoya wakhe. Thina sibonile, siyafakaza ukuthi uYise wayithuma iNdodana ibe nguMsindisi wezwe. Lowo ovuma ukuthi uJesu uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uNkulunkulu uhlala kuye, naye kuNkulunkulu. Thina siyalwazi, sikholwa yilo lolu thando uNkulunkulu analo kithina. UNkulunkulu uluthando, nohlala othandweni uhlala kuNkulunkulu, noNkulunkulu uhlala kuye. Ngalokho uthando luphelelisiwe kithi, ukuze sibe nesibindi ngosuku lokwahlulelwa, ngokuba njengalokhu enjalo yena, sinjalo nathi kuleli zwe. Akukho ukwesaba othandweni, kepha uthando olupheleleyo luyaxosha ukwesaba, ngokuba ukwesaba kunesijeziso, nowesabayo akaphelele othandweni. Thina siyathanda, ngokuba yena wasithanda kuqala.