Yohana 3
1 igu ri ahi bafarise ba yomi niko dimu a hi tuzan ni mi yahudawa
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 igua lu wa yesu ye ni chu na yo Rabbi ki tohwu u malami wawu tsi ni rji ki toh idiori na toh tie kpe wa wu si tie yinna se orji he niwu
He went to see Jesus at night, [to talk to him about God’s kingdom]. He said to Jesus, “Teacher, [we believe that] you are a teacher who has come from God. [We believe this because] we know that someone could perform the miracles you are doing only if God were helping him.”
3 yesu sa niwu njanji njanji indi wa ba na la ngriji a na ana toh iko irjina
Jesus replied to him, “Listen to this carefully: Unless people are born again and [have a new life from God], they cannot even see the place where God rules [MET]!”
4 nikodemu a miyen bati ni heri na la ngrji indi iwa a ce ye? ana ya kban hi ri ni minen yima ba ka la ngrjina ani iya?
Then Nicodemus said to him, “(No one can be born when he is old!/How can anyone be born when he is old?) [RHQ] (There is no way he can enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time!/How can he enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time?) [RHQ]”
5 yesu tre anjaji anjaji indi wa bana la ngrji ni ma mba ruhu na ana ya hiri nitra rjina
Jesus answered, “Note this: Being born naturally is not [enough]; people need to also be born [spiritually] by God’s Spirit. If that does not happen, they cannot experience God ruling [MET] [their lives].
6 ikpe wa ba ngrji ni konkbon kpa ahi kobonkpa iwa ba ngrji ni kon ruhu ahi u ruhu
Humans give birth to humans. But those who are born [again] as a result of what [God’s] Spirit [does receive a new] spiritual [nature from God].
7 na tie sisir na ni tu wa me hla ni wu a hi gbigbi ndu ba la ngri wu
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 ngyugyu ni fuw hi ni werji a wa a ni son a u ya wo chu ma iwu na toh ka a rjini tsen ka ni hi ni tsen na anaki indi waba ngrji u ni ruhu a
[Let me illustrate]: The wind blows wherever it wants to blow. You hear its sound, but you do not know where the wind comes from or where it is going. Similarly, those [who do not know God cannot understand/control/predict] how people are born again as a result of what God’s spirit [does].”
9 nikodi mu miyen batie ki ma ni he naki?
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 yesu u miyen i wu u malami ni israila u na toh iri kpe yi na?
Jesus replied to him, “You [(sg)] are a [well-known] teacher among [us] Israelite people, so (I am surprised that you do not understand these things!/how is it that you do not understand these things?) [RHQ]
11 njaji njaji mi si hla ni wu kisi tre kpr wa ki toh ni shaida ni yiwu na ki me bina kpa shaida buna
Listen to this carefully: (My disciples and I/I) tell you [(pl)] about the things that my disciples and I have seen and know [are true], but you [(pl)] do not admit that what my disciples and I are saying [is true].
12 mi tie hla niwu ikpe wa ahe ni gbungbolo yi i wuna kpayemen na u tie ni heni kpayemen ni tre wa mi hla niwu u shulu
I have told you about the things [that happen here] on earth that are true, but you [(pl)] do not believe me. So if I tell you [(sg)] about things [that happen] in heaven, (you certainly will not believe me!/how will you believe me?) [RHQ]
13 idiori na hon hi ni shu toh na se wawu wa a grji rji ni shu yea sei vren indi
I am the only one who has gone up to heaven; no one else has gone up there. I am also the one who came down from heaven. [So I know what happens there].
14 na wa musa a zu wan hi ni shu ni miji na ki me gbigbi ba zu ivren ndi hi shu
[Long ago when the Israelite people rebelled against God] in the desolate area, [God sent poisonous snakes to bite them]. But when Moses lifted up [on a pole] the [model of a] poisonous snake, [everyone who looked at that model was healed from their snake bites]. Similarly, [even though I] am the one who came from heaven, [some day people] will lift me up [on a cross to kill me].
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 niwa irji a lo suron ni gbungbulua kpukpome na ban ivren ma riri no wa a ka suron ma no wa ka que na kason ni viri hi ni tuntur (aiōnios g166)
God loved us people [MTY] in the world so much that he gave his only Son [as a sacrifice for us], in order that everyone who believes in him would not be separated from God forever. Instead, they would have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 irji bachi ana ton verri ye ni ndu ye ka gbungbulu a suto na amma ni ndu kpa ba chuwo
When God sent his Son into the world, his purpose was not to punish the [people in] [MTY] the world for their sins. Instead, he sent him in order that they might be saved by him {he might save them} [from being] ([guilty/punished]) [for their sins].
18 indi wa ayo suron ma niwu kana tie meme na u indi wa ana yo suron ma niwuna atie meme ye ni tu wa ana yo suron ma ni mi nde ivren ciriti na
Everyone who trusts in his Son, [God says that they] will not be punished {that he will not punish them}. But God has already [said that] everyone who does not trust in his Son will be punished {that he will punish everyone who does not trust in his Son}, because they have not trusted in what his only Son [has done for them].
19 a ni tu kima ibla tre he ni tu wa ikpan ye ni gbungbulua u ndi ba son bwu zankpan ni tu meme tie mba
The [one who was like a] light [MET] [to reveal God’s truth to us] came into the world. But people loved doing what was [evil, like] darkness [MET] [is evil], instead of loving the [one who was like a] light. That is the reason [God will] judge people [and condemn them].
20 wawuu indi wa ani tie meme kpe a ni kama ni kpan nda na ni hi ni kpan na don ndu bana toh meme tie mana
Everyone who does what is evil hates the [one who is like a] light, and they will not come to the [one who is like a] light, because it would be shown {[the one who is like a light] would show} that their deeds [are evil, and he would rebuke them].
21 sei indi wa ani tie njanji ani ye ni kpan nitu tie ma wa ba toh ni rira me a ndi da ni tie niwu rji
But those who live according to [God’s] truth come to the [one who is like a] light, in order that it may be seen clearly {that people may see clearly} that the things they have done, they did them because [they have depended] on God.
22 ni kogon kima yesu ni almajeran ma ba lu hi yanki igbu judea ni ki ason hi ni ton ri niba natie batisma
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 yahaya me ni tie batisma ni aino whiwhire ni salim nitu ima he ni ki babran indi baye niwu wani ti batisma
John [the Baptizer] was also baptizing people. He was doing that at Aenon [village] near Salim [town in Samaria district], because there were many springs in that area. [Many] people kept coming [to John] and were being baptized {he was baptizing them}.
24 ba na rigen yo yahaya ni mi tra u tro na
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 u kbonronkpa lude ni mi almajeran yahaya ni indi u yahuda nitu al adun tsarka kewa
Then some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew started arguing about the Jewish rituals of washing things [to make them acceptable to God].
26 ba luhi ni yahaya na tre Rabbi indi wa a he niwu ni gran ne urdun wa u shaidu wu toh asi tie batisma indi wawu ba si hi niwu
Then those disciples went to John and said to him, “Teacher, [do you remember] the man who was with you when you were baptizing people on the other side of the Jordan River? He is the one you were telling us about. Well, now he is baptizing people, and many people are going to him [instead of coming to us]!”
27 yahaya sa ni bawu idiori na ya fe kperina sei ba no rji ni shulu
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 biyi ni tubi bi to mi hla ni a na imeyin me Almasihuna ba ton me ye guci niwu
You yourselves can verify what I said. I told you that I am not (the Messiah/God’s promised king). Instead, I [told you that] I was sent {that [God] sent me} to prepare the way for him.
29 iwa sah ahi u lon ma ikpan glon zizan ikpana kri siwowu a si ngir ni wa asi wo lan likona ingir mu a shu mala
[Let me illustrate] [MET]: [He is like a] ([bridegroom/man who is being married]), [and I am like his friend]. The friend of the bridegroom stands there and waits [for him to come]. That friend is very happy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice [when he arrives]. Similarly, I am very happy [about what you have told me].
30 a hi gbibbi ni ndu shu babran u me grji ye meme
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 wawu iwa a rji ni shu a zan indi wawu
[Jesus] came from heaven. He is more important than anyone else. Those who are born from [parents here] on earth [MTY] are just humans, and they speak about things [that happen here] on the earth. But since Jesus came from heaven, his [words are] more important than anyone else’s.
32 a shaida ikpu iwa awo na toh idiori me tie bre kpa shaida ma
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 indi iwa akpa shaida ma a kpayemmen gbigbi irji a njaji
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 indi wa irji ton a ani tre ni lan u rji ana no ruhu a ni tsara tsara na
[We know it is true] because [Jesus], the one God sent, speaks the message of God. [That is also true] because God causes his Spirit to live [in Jesus] to completely [direct everything he says and does].
35 itie kpayemen nl vrena na ka koggen no nriwoma
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 indi wa a kpayenmen ni vren a he ni viri son hi ni tuntur indi wa akama ni ivren ana virina ifun irji a he ni tunna (aiōnios g166)
Those who trust in [God’s] Son have eternal life. But those who reject God’s Son will never have [eternal] life. Instead, God is angry with them [and he will surely punish them]. (aiōnios g166)
