John 3
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
Na rĩrĩ, kwarĩ na mũndũ wa Afarisai wetagwo Nikodemo, warĩ wa kĩama kĩrĩa gĩathanaga kĩa Ayahudi.
2 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.”
Nĩokire kũrĩ Jesũ ũtukũ, akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Rabii, nĩtũũĩ we ũrĩ mũrutani uumĩte kũrĩ Ngai. Nĩgũkorwo gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩhota kũringa ciama iria ũringaga Ngai atarĩ hamwe nake.”
3 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]!”
Nake Jesũ akĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Ngũkwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩona ũthamaki wa Ngai atangĩciarwo rĩngĩ.”
4 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]”
Nake Nikodemo akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ angĩciarwo atĩa arĩ mũkũrũ? Ti-itherũ ndangĩhota gũtoonya nda ya nyina hĩndĩ ya keerĩ nĩguo aciarwo!”
5 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].
Jesũ akĩmũcookeria atĩrĩ, “Ngũkwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, gũtirĩ mũndũ ũngĩtoonya ũthamaki-inĩ wa Ngai atangĩciarwo na maaĩ na Roho.
6 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].
Mwĩrĩ ũciaraga mwĩrĩ, no Roho aciaraga roho.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
Ndũkagegio nĩ ũguo ndoiga atĩ, ‘No nginya ũciarwo rĩngĩ.’
8 [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].”
Rũhuho rũhurutanaga na kũrĩa rũngĩenda. Ũiguaga rũkĩhurutana, no ndũmenyaga kũrĩa rumĩte kana kũrĩa rũrorete. Ũguo noguo gũtariĩ harĩ mũndũ ũrĩa wothe ũciarĩtwo nĩ Roho.”
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
Nake Nikodemo akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Ũndũ ũcio ũngĩhoteka atĩa?”
10 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]
Nake Jesũ akĩmũũria atĩrĩ, “Wee ũrĩ mũrutani wa Isiraeli na ndũrataũkĩrwo nĩ maũndũ maya?
11 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].
Ngũkwĩra atĩrĩ na ma, twaragia ũrĩa tũũĩ, na tũkoimbũra ũrĩa tuonete, no inyuĩ, mũtiĩtĩkagĩra ũira witũ.
12 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]
Ndakwĩra maũndũ ma gũkũ thĩ, waga gwĩtĩkia; ũngĩtĩkia atĩa ingĩkwĩra maũndũ ma na igũrũ?
13 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].
Gũtirĩ mũndũ ũrĩ wathiĩ igũrũ tiga ũrĩa woimire igũrũ, na nĩwe Mũrũ wa Mũndũ.”
14 [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].
Na o ta ũrĩa Musa aambararirie nyoka ya gĩcango werũ-inĩ, ũguo no taguo Mũrũ wa Mũndũ akaambarario,
nĩguo ũrĩa wothe ũmwĩhokete agĩe na muoyo wa tene na tene. (aiōnios g166)
16 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)
“Nĩgũkorwo Ngai nĩendire kĩrĩndĩ, akĩruta Mũrũ wake wa mũmwe, nĩgeetha mũndũ o wothe ũmwĩtĩkĩtie ndakoore, no agĩe na muoyo wa tene na tene. (aiōnios g166)
17 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].
Nĩgũkorwo Ngai ndaatũmire Mũrũwe gũkũ thĩ aciirithie kĩrĩndĩ, no nĩguo kĩrĩndĩ kĩhonoke nĩ ũndũ wake.
18 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].
Ũrĩa wothe ũmwĩtĩkĩtie ti wa gũciirithio, no ũrĩa wothe ũtamwĩtĩkĩtie ũcio nĩarĩkĩtie gũtuĩrwo ciira, nĩgũkorwo ndehokete rĩĩtwa rĩa Mũrũ wa Ngai wa mũmwe.
19 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].
Rĩĩrĩ nĩrĩo ituĩro: Ũtheri nĩwokire gũkũ thĩ, no andũ makĩenda nduma gũkĩra ũtheri, nĩ ũndũ ciĩko ciao ciarĩ njũru.
20 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].
Mũndũ o wothe wĩkaga ũũru nĩathũire ũtheri, na ndangiumĩra ũtheri-inĩ nĩ gwĩtigĩra ciĩko ciake itikoimbũke.
21 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.
No mũndũ ũrĩa wothe wĩkaga maũndũ ma ma nĩoimagĩra ũtheri-inĩ, nĩguo kuonekane kũna atĩ ũguo ekĩte nĩ Ngai ũmũhotithĩtie.”
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
Thuutha wa ũguo, Jesũ na arutwo ake nĩmoimagarire magĩthiĩ bũrũri wa Judea, kũrĩa aikarangire nao, na akabatithanagia.
23 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}.
O nake Johana nĩabatithanagĩria Ainoni gũkuhĩ na Salimu, nĩgũkorwo kũu nĩ kwarĩ maaĩ maingĩ, nao andũ nĩmookaga kuo kaingĩ kaingĩ mabatithio.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
(Hĩndĩ ĩyo Johana ndaakoretwo aikĩtio njeera.)
25 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].
Nĩ kwagĩire na ngarari gatagatĩ-inĩ ka arutwo amwe a Johana na Mũyahudi ũmwe ũhoro-inĩ wa mĩtugo yao ya gwĩtheria.
26 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]!”
Magĩũka kũrĩ Johana makĩmwĩra atĩrĩ, “Rabii, mũndũ ũrĩa mũraarĩ nake mũrĩmo ũrĩa ũngĩ wa Jorodani, ũrĩa wee warutire ũira ũmũkoniĩ-rĩ, nĩarabatithania, nao andũ othe nĩmarathiĩ kũrĩ we.”
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
Ũhoro-inĩ ũcio Johana agĩcookia atĩrĩ, “Mũndũ ndarĩ ũndũ angĩamũkĩra o tiga ũrĩa aheetwo kuuma igũrũ.
28 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.
Inyuĩ ene no mũheane ũira muuge atĩ nĩndoigire atĩrĩ, ‘Niĩ ti niĩ Kristũ, no ndũmĩtwo njũke mbere yake.’
29 [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].
Mũhiki nĩ wa mũhikania. No rĩrĩ, mũrata wa mũhikania ũrĩa ũmũrũgamĩrĩire nĩamũthikagĩrĩria, na akaiyũrwo nĩ gĩkeno rĩrĩa aigua mũgambo wa mũhikania. Gĩkeno ta kĩu nĩkĩo ndĩ na kĩo, na rĩu nĩgĩkinyanĩru.
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
We no nginya akĩrĩrĩrie kũneneha, na niĩ ngĩrĩrĩrie kũnyiiha.
31 [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.
“Ũrĩa uumĩte igũrũ nĩ mũnene kũrĩ andũ othe; nake ũrĩa uumĩte thĩ nĩ wa gũkũ thĩ, na maũndũ marĩa aragia no ma gũkũ thĩ. Ũrĩa uumĩte igũrũ arĩ igũrũ rĩa andũ arĩa angĩ othe.
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
We oimbũraga maũndũ marĩa onete na akaigua no gũtirĩ mũndũ o na ũmwe wĩtĩkagĩra ũira wake.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Mũndũ ũrĩa wĩtĩkĩrĩte ũira ũcio nĩahũũrĩte mũhũũri atĩ Ngai nĩ wa ma.
34 [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].
Nĩgũkorwo ũrĩa Ngai atũmĩte aragia ciugo cia Ngai nĩ ũndũ Ngai aheanaga Roho hatarĩ gĩthimi.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
Ithe nĩendete Mũriũ na nĩ aigĩte indo ciothe moko-inĩ make.
36 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)
Ũrĩa wothe wĩtĩkĩtie Mũriũ, arĩ na muoyo wa tene na tene, no ũrĩa wothe ũregete Mũriũ ndakona muoyo, nĩgũkorwo egũtũũra arakarĩirwo nĩ Ngai.” (aiōnios g166)
