Yohana 1
1 ni mumla itre a he u tre he ni ba chi u tre a hi bachi
The one who expresses [MET] ([God’s character/what God is like]) has always existed (from the beginning [MTY] [of everything/before everything began]). He has always existed with God, and he has God’s nature.
2 iwayi a he rji ni mumla ni bachi
He always existed with God [before] he began [MTY] [to create anything].
3 koge ba tie ni wa wuti ba na tie kpe ri na sei ni wawuyi
He is the one by whom [God] caused everything to exist. He is the one who created absolutely everything [LIT].
4 ni uahi nou ivri he u viri a ka tie ipan ni indi wawu
He is the one who [caused everything to] live. He, who caused us people to live, [revealed to us the truth about God as] a light [MET] [reveals what is in the darkness].
5 ipan a lan ni mi bwu i bwu na ka ipan na
People do not want him to reveal [that what they do is evil] [MET], just [like] darkness [is evil]. But [just like] darkness cannot put out light [MET], [evil people have never prevented the one who was like a light from revealing God’s truth] (OR, [evil people have never] understood the [one who was like] a light.)
6 indi ri he wa bachi ton ndu wa ba yo di yahaya
A man whose name was John was sent by God {God sent a man whose name was John}.
7 aye toh na hla tre ikpan ni ndu indi wawu kpa yenme ni tu ma
He came to tell people [about the one who was like] [MET] a light. He came to show that everything that the [one who was like a light] [MET] said was true, in order that he could enable all people to believe [in the one who was like a light].
8 a na yahaya ahi kpan na ama ndu ye toh kpan na hla
John himself was not the [one who was like a] light [MET]. Instead, he came to tell others about that [one who was like a] light.
9 ikpan i njanji wa a no kpan ni indi wawu ani ye ni gbungbula
[While John was doing that], the one who was truly [like] a light was about to show himself to the world. He was the one who enables all people [to know about God, as] a light [MET] enables [people to know what is in the darkness].
10 a he ni gbungbulu yi ba mei gbungbulu ni tuma indi bi gbungbulu bana toh na
Although the one [who was like a light] was [here] on the earth, and although he was the one whom [God] caused to create everything, [most] people [MTY, HYP] did not realize who he [was]. (OR, although he was the one whom [God] caused to create everything, [most] people did not accept him.)
11 aye ni bama u bima bana kpaa na
Although he came to the land that belonged to him [because he created it, most of] his own people, [the Jews], rejected him (OR, did not accept him).
12 abi wa ba kpa na kpayenme ni indi ma abiki migen ano ba ikon ndu ba yo ba tie imiri rji
But those [of us who welcomed him, God] authorized [that we would have a relationship with] him [MET] [like] children [have a relationship with their father]. We were people who believed [that what he said] about himself [MTY] [was true].
13 wa ba na grji ni kon irji u yina ana nitie u kpa na ana tie u ndi na a hi tie rji
We became [like God’s children], not because our ancestors [belonged to God], or because of someone’s sexual desires, nor because some man desired to have children like himself. Instead, we were caused by God {God caused us} to become [like] his children.
14 ilan tre ka tie nma kpa na son mi mi buu wa aye rji ni irji na sh ni iko ni njaji
The one who expresses [MET] ([God’s character/what God is like]) became a human being, and he lived among us [for a while]. As a result, we saw how wonderful he is. He came from [God] his father, and there was no other person as wonderful as he. He was wonderful because he always acted (kindly toward us/in ways we did not deserve), and he always [spoke] truthfully to us [about God].
15 yahaya a hla ni tu ma da ni yo indi kpan kpan me nanihla ahe wayi i mi tre indi wa ani ye ni kogon mu a za me a he ri mi ka ye
[One day] when John was telling people about him, [he saw Jesus]. Then he shouted to them, “I told you [previously] that someone will come later who is more important than I am, since he existed [long] before me. This [is the man I was talking about]!”
16 ni tsara ma yi kikpa alheri ni tu alheri
We have all benefited very much from what he has done. Again and again, he has acted in kind way toward us in ways we did not deserve.
17 doka tre yi ye rji ni musa alheri ni njaji baye rji nikonyesu Amasihu
Moses proclaimed [God’s] laws [to our ancestors]. But what Jesus Christ did for us [was much better]. He acted in kindness toward us in ways we did not deserve and told us the truth [about God].
18 ba iton wa idiori taba sa shishi ni irji indi wa ahi wawu yi kangrjima a hi nji iwa a kuyer ni kbu bachi rji wawuyi tsro u
No one has ever seen God. But God’s only Son, [Jesus], who has always had a very close relationship with God, has told us about God.
19 yahudawa ba lude ton ba ni firistici ni lawiyawa he niwu ni ni tu ba son miyen ahi wu nhan?
The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] in Jerusalem [city] sent some [Jewish] priests and (Levites/men who worked in the temple) to where John was, to ask him some questions. They said to him, “What do you [claim about] yourself?”
20 wa nhla ni bawu gerger ana kpa tron na wa si sa bawu adie ana imeyi me Almasihu na
So John told them the truth, and he told them clearly [DOU]. He said, “[I] am not (the Messiah/God’s chosen king)!”
21 u ba miyen a hi wu nahn? ahi wu yi iliya? iwa tisan ana mena u tra ahi wuyi wu anabi? wa ti san aa
Then they asked him, “Then what [do you say about yourself]? Are you [the prophet] Elijah [that was prophesied to return] {([someone/another prophet]) [prophesied would return]} [before the Messiah]?” He replied, “No, [I] am not.” Then they asked him, “Are you the prophet [like Moses that] ([we are waiting for/God promised to send])?” He replied, “No.”
22 ba miyenu a hi wu nha ki son ki hi hla ni biwa ba ton ta? u hla ta wu di geri ni tu me?
So they asked him, “Then who do you [claim to be]? [Tell us] so that we can [go back and] report to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 wa hla mi lantre wa a bi tie ni kon irji nawa wandi anabi ishaya hla a
John replied, “[I] am the one [the prophet Isaiah said] would proclaim [this new message] loudly [to the people who would pass by] in this desolate area: ‘Prepare [yourselves to receive] the Lord when he comes [MET], [just like people prepare] a road [for an important official].
24 bandi waba ton ba rji tarisawa ba he niba u ba miyen andi
Some of those people [who were questioning] John were ones who had been sent by the Pharisee [religious group] {whom the Pharisee [religious group] had sent}.
25 u ge mba sa u yin btsima ise una Almasihuna u na iliyana ko annabin?
They asked John, “Since [you say] you are not the Messiah, nor [the prophet] Elijah, nor the prophet [like Moses], [what authority] do you have? [Furthermore], why are you baptizing [Jews, treating them as though they were non-Jews who wanted to become Jews]?”
26 yahaya se tre a bawu andi mi yi batsima ni ma indi ri k rli ni mibi wa bina toh na
John replied, “I am [just] baptizing people with water [to prepare them to welcome the Messiah]. But [right now] someone is among you whom you people do not know.
27 wawu yi ni ye ni kogon wa rjirji lagban ma nii kuyiron wa mi siwua
He [will preach to you] after I [am gone]. [He is so important that] I am not worthy to [serve him as a slave] [MET] [by] untying his sandals.”
28 kpi biyi ni Bethany u ngbala rima u Jordan wa Yahaya a sia ti batisma mble
Those things happened at [a place called] Bethany, on the [east] side of the Jordan [River], where John was baptizing people.
29 ni bele ni virima yahaya toh yesu niwa natre yamba ige vreb nkrju irji iwa aban lah tre gbungbulua
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. He said to the people, “Look! Here is the [man whom] God [has appointed to be a sacrifice] [MET], [like] the lambs [that the people of Israel sacrificed! By sacrificing himself] he will [make it possible for everyone in] the world to be no longer [guilty for having] sinned.
30 iwayi ahi iwa mi bla ni yiwu ndi ndi wa asiye a zanme ahe guci nimu
He is the one about whom I said [before], ‘Someone will come later who is more important than I am, since he existed [long] before me.’
31 mina toh na ama bana hla tsre ilawa ye miye ni yi batisma ni ma
I myself did not [previously] recognize that he [was the Messiah]. But [now I know who he is], and I have baptized people with water to enable [you people of] Israel to recognize who he is.”
32 yahaya shedai andi mi toh ruhu asi grji na ingyu da ye niwu nituma
John spoke clearly [what God had shown him about Jesus]. He said, “I saw [God’s] Spirit as he was descending from heaven in the form of a dove. The Spirit remained on Jesus.
33 mina gani niwu na indi wa a tih me miyi batsima ni mima a hla nimu ko ahi nhan u toh ruhu a grji kuson niwu nituma ahi wawu yi a yin batisna ni ruhu u nja ji
I myself did not know [previously] that he [was the Messiah]. However, [God] sent me to baptize people with water, [people who said they wanted to turn from their sinful ways. While I was doing that], God told me, ‘The man on whom you will see my Spirit descend and remain is the one who will put the Holy Spirit within you [(pl) to truly change your lives].’
34 mitoh ni sheda ahi wawuyi vrena rji
I saw [the Spirit descend on him], and I tell you that he is (the Son of God/the person who is both God and man).”
35 kan vi nibela u ha ma u yahaya a kri ni hari ni mi almajeran ma
The next day John was at the same place again (with two of us/with two of his disciples).
36 u ba toh yesu a ka vuyaba ni hi u yahaya atre toh ba inge vren krju irji
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! There is the man God [has appointed to be a sacrifice, like] the lambs [MET] [the people of Israel have sacrificed!]”
37 u almajeran ma hari bawo naki da luwu yesu
(When we/those two disciples) heard John say this, we/they went with Jesus.
38 u yesu kban ya da toh basiwu u wa a miye a ge bi son? u ba yo rabbi andi lu soro ni tseyi
Jesus turned around and saw us/them coming behind him. So he asked us/them, “What do you want?” We/They replied, “Teacher, [tell us] where you are staying, [because we want to talk with you].”
39 a hla bawu ye ni ye toh ubaye na ye toh bubu wa ani son u ba ka kuson niwu che chuku ni karfi wollon
He replied, “Come [with me], and you will see [where I am staying]!” So we/they went with him and saw where he was staying. We/They stayed with him until about 4 o’clock (OR, from about 4 PM until the next day).
40 iri ni miba biwa ba wo tre yahaya hi androwus vayi siman Bitrus
(One of us/One of the two men) who heard what John had said and who went with Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s [younger] brother.
41 a lude da wa vayi ma simanna hla niwu ki ka toh Almasihu
[After Andrew left Jesus], the first thing he did was to find his own [older] brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Messiah!”
42 a nji ye ni yesu yesu ya da tre ahi wuyi u siman ivren yahaya? ba yo di kefas
Then he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked intently at him, and then said, “You are Simon. Your father’s name is John. You will be given {[I] will give you} the name Cephas.” [Cephas is an Aramaic name that means ‘solid rock’. It] means [the same in Greek as the name] Peter.
43 ni vikima wa yesu luni shirin u kugon hi nigalili u waka toh filibus da hla niwu luhume
The next day [Jesus] decided to leave [the Jordan River valley]. He went to Galilee [district] and (OR, on the way there he) found a man named Philip. Jesus said to him, “Come with me!”
44 Filibus ivren i jiji baitsida gbu ba andrawus ni bitrus
Philip and Andrew and Peter were all from Bethsaida [town].
45 filibus ka same ni nata na ilu da hla niwu ki same niwu wa musa a nhan yo nimi attaura ni annabawa yesu ivren yusufu ba nazarat
Then Philip [searched for] Nathaniel and found him, and said to him, “We have met [the Messiah], the one Moses [wrote about]! The prophets also [prophesied that he would come]. He is Jesus, from Nazareth [town]. His father’s name is Joseph.”
46 natan ilu a hla niwu ba ya na fe kperi u ndi ndi ma ni Nazarat? filibus tre ye ni ye toh
Nathaniel replied, “Nazareth? (Nothing good can come from [such an unimportant place]!/Can anything good come from [such an unimportant place]?) [RHQ]” Philip replied, “Come and see!”
47 u yesu a toh matana ilu si ye niwa u wa tre tre nituma toh ba isra ilyi wa ana mirtan indi na he niwuana
When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said about Nathaniel, “Here is an example of a good Israelite! He never deceives anyone!”
48 natana u lu miyen u tie ni he mba ni toh me? u yesu a hla niwu mi toh ri u filibus yo u niwa a son ni chin mbuwa
Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know what I [am like]?” Jesus replied, “I saw you before Philip called you, when you were [by yourself] under the fig tree.”
49 natana ilu yo ni rabbi u vren irji u chu israila ko
Then Nathaniel declared, “Teacher, you [must be] (the Son of God/the person who is both God and man)! You are the King of Israel [we have been waiting for]!”
50 yesu tre ni wa ni hla ndi me toh u ni chin mbuwa a kpayenme? u toh kpii wa ba nawayi babran
Jesus replied to him, “You [RHQ] believe [those things about me] because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree. [I was able to see you supernaturally even though I was far away from you]. But you will see [me do] things that are more surprising than that!”
51 na hla njajimu njaji misi hla niwu utoh shulu bwu kri wuho malaku irjii ba si hon nani grji nitu vren indi
Then Jesus said to him, “This is the absolute truth: [Just like what your ancestor Jacob saw long ago in a vision], some day you [(pl)] will see heaven opened up, and you will see God’s angels ascending from me and descending on me, the one who came from heaven.”
