FIRST JOHN.
CHAPTIR ANE.
Christ the Life, and Christ the Licht, o' men.
THAT whilk was free the first 0' a', that whilk we hae heard, that whilk we hae seen wi' oor een, that whilk we for oorsels hae gazed upon, and oor hauns war laid on, o' the Word 0' Life,—
2. And the Life was made kent to us, and we hae seen, and gie witness, and report to you the evirdurin Life, whilk was wi' the Faither, and was made kent to us.
3. That whilk we hae oorsels seen and heard, we report to you, that ye too as weel may hae marrowin wi' us; and oor marrowin is w'’ the Faither, and wi' his Son Jesus Christ.
4. And we write thir things, that oor joy may be filled fu'.
5. And this is what we hae heard 0' him, and gie to you, that God is licht, and mirkness isna in him: nane ava!
6. Gin aiblins we soud say, "We hae marrowin wi' him," and are gaun on i' the mirk, we are leears, and divna the truth.
7. But gin aiblins we are gaun on i' the licht, as he is in the licht, we marrow ane wi' anither, and the blade 0' Jesus his Son make us clean frae a' sin.
8. Gin aiblins we send say, "Sin hae we nane," we deceive oorsels, and the truth hides-na in us.
9. Gin aiblins we confess oor sins, leal[1] and gude is he to forgie oor sins, and mak us pure frae ilk unrichtous deed.
10. Gin aiblins we soud say, "We hae—na sinned," we are makin him fause, and his word isna in us.
CHAPTIR TWA.
Love is the great Law: and Faith the great want.
MY dear bairns, thir things I write t'ye, that ye soudna sin; and gin aiblins ony ane sine, we bae an Advocat wi' the Faither, Jesus Christ the Gude!
2. And he is the coverin-ower 0' oor sins; and no for oors allenar, but e'en for thee o' the hail warld.
3. And in siclike we ken that we hae come to ken him, gin we keep his commauns.
4. He that says, "I hae gotten to ken him," and keeps-na his commauns, is a leear; and the truth isna in sic a ane.
5. But whasae'er may be keepin his word, in sic a ane, truly, is the love o'God made perfete. And thus ken we that we are in him.
6. He that says "he hides in him." soud, e’en as he walkit, sae walk his sel.
7. Beloved. I write nae new commaun to ye, but an auld commaun, whilk ye had free the first. The auld commaun is the word that ye heard.
8. Again, a new commaun write I t'ye, and whilk is true in him and in you: "That the mirk is gane by, and the true licht noo shines oot!"
9. He that says "He is i' the licht," and hates his brither, is in the mirk e'en till noo.
10. He that lo'es his brither hides i' the licht; and thar is nae cause for stoiterin in him.
11. Whaur-as he wha hates his brither is i' the mirk, and gangs i' the mirk, and kens-na whaur he is airtin, for that the mirkness has blindit his sen.
12. I write to you, dear bairns, for yere sins has been forgien ye, for the sake o' his name.
- ↑ V. 9. What a ferlie,that the puir believer can claim God's Justice and truth for the pittin-awa o' his sins! God has promised; and he is leal to his promise!
