John 3
1 Now there was a man among the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Kwakulendoda engumFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodimasi, ililunga lomphakathi wamaJuda abusayo.
2 The same went to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come as a teacher from God, because no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
Yaya kuJesu ebusuku yathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngoba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena nxa uNkulunkulu engelaye.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten from Above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.”
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi kini, akakho ozawubona umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba azalwe kutsha.”
4 Nicodemus says to Him: “How can a man be begotten, being old? He can't enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?”
UNikhodimasi wathi, “Kanti umuntu angazalwa kanjani yena esemdala na? Ngeqiniso, angazake angene ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina ukuze azalwe!”
5 Jesus answered: “Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten by water and Spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of God.
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, angeke awungene umbuso kaNkulunkulu.
6 That which has been begotten by the flesh is flesh, and that which has been begotten by the Spirit is spirit.
Inyama izala inyama, kodwa uMoya uzala umoya.
7 Do not be perplexed that I said to you, ‘You (pl) need to be begotten from Above.’
Ungamangaliswa yikuthi ngithi, ‘Kumele lizalwe kutsha.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you (sg) hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who has been begotten by the Spirit.”
Umoya uphephethela loba kungaphi lapho othanda khona. Ungakuzwa ukuvunguza kwawo, kodwa ungeke utsho ukuthi uvela ngaphi loba ukuthi uya ngaphi. Ngakho kunjalo emuntwini wonke ozelwe ngoMoya.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
UNikhodimasi wabuza wathi, “Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”
10 Jesus answered and said to Him: “You are the teacher of Israel, yet you do not understand these things?
UJesu wathi, “Ungumfundisi wako-Israyeli, pho kungani ungazwisisi izinto lezi na?
11 Most assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you (pl) do not receive our testimony.
Ngiqinisile ngithi sikhuluma ngesikwaziyo njalo sifakaza ngesikubonileyo, kodwa lina bantu kalibamukeli ubufakazi bethu.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I should tell you the heavenly?
Ngikhulume kini ngezinto zalapha emhlabeni, kodwa kalikholwa; pho lizakholwa kanjani nxa ngingakhuluma ngokwasezulwini?
13 No one has gone up into Heaven except the One who came down out of Heaven —the Son of the Man, who is in Heaven.
Kakho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu.
14 Also, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, just so the Son of the Man must be lifted up,
NjengoMosi owaphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu kumele iphakanyiswe,
15 so that everyone who believes into Him should not be wasted, but should have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
ukuze kuthi lowo lalowo okholwa kuyo abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.” (aiōnios g166)
16 Because God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes into Him should not be wasted, but should have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe kangaka waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God did not send His Son into the world in order to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu kathumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuze iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo.
18 The one believing into Him is not condemned, but the one not believing has already been condemned, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngoba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu.
19 “Now this is the basis for the condemning, that the Light has come into the world, but the people loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were malignant.
Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
20 For whoever practices evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
Wonke umuntu owenza ububi uyakuzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni ngoba esesaba ukuthi izenzo zakhe zizabekwa obala.
21 But whoever does the truth comes to the Light so that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they are done in God.”
Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.
22 After these things Jesus, with His disciples, went into the Judean countryside, and there He spent time with them and baptized.
Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile ebhaphathiza.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salem, because there was plenty of water there. And people were coming and being baptized;
Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa.
24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
(Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.)
25 Then some of John's disciples had an argument with a Judean about purification.
Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lomkhuba wokuzihlambulula.
26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the One who was with you across the Jordan, about whom you have testified—well, here He is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to Him!”
Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani; yona leyana owafakaza ngayo; iyabhaphathiza bonke abantu sebesiya kuyo.”
27 John answered and said: “A person can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from Heaven.
Waphendula uJohane wathi, “Umuntu wamukela kuphela lokho akuphiwayo kuvela ezulwini.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’
Lina ngokwenu lingakufakaza ukuthi ngathi, ‘Kangisuye uKhristu, kodwa ngithunyiwe ukumandulela.’
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and hears him, has great joy at the bridegroom's voice. So this my joy has been fulfilled.
Umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Umkhaphi womyeni uyamnakekela, amlalele, abelokuthokoza nxa esizwa ilizwi lomyeni. Lokho kuthokoza ngokwami njalo okwamanje sekuphelele.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Yena ufanele abemkhulu; mina kufanele kunciphe ukuqakatheka kwami.”
31 “He who comes from Above is above all; he who is from the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.
Lowo ovela phezulu ungaphezulu kwakho konke; lowo ovela emhlabeni ungowomhlaba, ukhuluma njengalowo ovela emhlabeni. Lowo ovela ezulwini ungaphezu kwakho konke.
32 And to what He has seen and heard He testifies, yet no one receives His testimony.
Ufakaza ngalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, kodwa kakho owamukela ubufakazi bakhe.
33 The one who receives His testimony certifies that God is true.
Lowomuntu obamukelayo usegcizelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
34 For He whom God sent speaks God's words, because God does not give the Spirit by measure.
Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; yena uNkulunkulu umupha umoya kungelakulinganiswa.
35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
UYise uyayithanda iNdodana njalo useyiphe amandla phezu kwezinto zonke.
36 The one believing into the Son has eternal life, but the one disobeying the Son will not see the Life, but the wrath of God will remain upon him.” (aiōnios g166)
Loba ngubani obeke ithemba lakhe eNdodaneni ulokuphila okungapheliyo, kodwa loba ngubani oyilahlayo iNdodana kazukuyibona leyompilo ngoba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lohlala luphezu kwakhe. (aiōnios g166)
