John 3
1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a leading man among the Jews.
Azɔ la, ame aɖe si tso Farisitɔwo dome, eye eŋkɔe nye Nikodemo la li. Enye Yudatɔwo ƒe takpekpe gã me nɔla.
2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: “Rabbi, we know that you are a Teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him.”
Eva Yesu gbɔ le zã me, eye wògblɔ nɛ be, Nufiala, menya be nufialae nènye tso Mawu gbɔ va. Elabena ame aɖeke mate ŋu awɔ dzesi wɔnuku siwo nèwɔna, ne Mawu meli kplii o.
3 “In truth I tell you,” exclaimed Jesus, “unless a man is reborn, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
Yesu ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Vavã mele egblɔm na wò be, ne womegbugbɔ ame dzi o la, mate ŋu ayi mawufiaɖuƒe la me o.”
4 “How can a man,” asked Nicodemus, “be born when he is old? Can he be born a second time?”
Nikodemo gblɔ be, “Aleke wɔ ametsitsi nagatrɔ ayi dadaa ƒe dɔ me be woagbugbɔe adzii?”
5 “In truth I tell you,” answered Jesus, “unless a man owes his birth to Water and Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
Yesu ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Nyateƒe gblɔm mele na wò be, ne womegbugbɔ ame dzi to tsi kple gbɔgbɔ me o la, mate ŋu ayi mawufiaɖuƒe la me o.
6 All that owes its birth to human nature is human, and all that owes its birth to the Spirit is spiritual.
Amegbetɔ ate ŋu adzi ŋutilã ko, gake Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe lae naa agbe yeye tso dziƒo.
7 Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn.
Le esia ta megawɔ nuku na wò be megblɔ na wò be ele be woagbugbɔ wò adzi o.
8 The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes, or where it goes; it is the same with every one that owes his birth to the Spirit.”
Ya ƒona yia teƒe ɖe sia ɖe si wòlɔ̃ la; àte ŋu ase eŋkɔ, gake màte ŋu agblɔ afi si wòtso alo afi si wòyina o. Nenema ke wònɔna na ame sia ame si wodzi to Gbɔgbɔ la me la.”
9 “How can that be?” asked Nicodemus.
Nikodemo gabia Yesu be, “Aleke esia ate ŋu ava emee?”
10 “What! You a teacher of Israel,” exclaimed Jesus, “and yet do not understand this!
Yesu ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Wò, Israel ƒe nufiala, mèse nu siawo gɔme oa?
11 In truth I tell you that we speak of what we know, and state what we have seen; and yet you do not accept our statements.
Le nyateƒe me la, míeƒoa nu tso nu siwo míenya la ŋu, eye míeɖia ɖase tso nu siwo míekpɔ la ŋu, ke miexɔa míaƒe ɖaseɖiɖi o.
12 If, when I tell you earthly things, you do not believe me, how will you believe me when I tell you of heavenly things?
Esi meƒo nu tso anyigbadzinuwo ŋu, eye mèxɔ wo dzi se o ɖe, aleke nàwɔ axɔe se ne meƒo nu tso dziƒonuwo ŋu na wò?
13 No one has ascended to Heaven, except him who descended from Heaven — the Son of Man himself.
Elabena Amegbetɔ Vi la koe tso dziƒo va anyigba dzi, eye wòagatrɔ ayi dziƒo.
14 And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
Abe ale si Mose kɔ akɔblida la ɖe dzi le gbea dzi ene la, nenema ke woakɔ Amegbetɔ Vi la ɖe dzii,
be ame sia ame si xɔa edzi sena la nakpɔ agbe mavɔ.” (aiōnios g166)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that every one who believes in him may not be lost, but have Immortal Life. (aiōnios g166)
Elabena Mawu lɔ̃a xexea me ale gbegbe be wòtsɔ eya ŋutɔ Via ɖeka hɔ̃ɔ la na, be ame sia ame si axɔ edzi ase la, nagatsrɔ̃ o, ke boŋ wòakpɔ agbe mavɔ. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
Mawu meɖo Via ɖa be wòava drɔ̃ ʋɔnu xexea me o, ke boŋ be wòaɖe xexea me to edzi.
18 He who believes in him escapes condemnation, while he who does not believe in him is already condemned, because he has not believed in the only Son of God.
Ame siwo xɔ edzi se la, womadrɔ̃ ʋɔnu wo o, ke ame siwo mexɔ edzi se o la, wodrɔ̃ ʋɔnu wo xoxo, elabena womexɔ Mawu ƒe Vi ɖeka hɔ̃ɔ la dzi se o.
19 The ground of his condemnation is this, that though the Light has come into the world, men preferred the darkness to the Light, because their actions were wicked.
Nu si ta wodrɔ̃ ʋɔnu wo xoxo lae nye be Kekeli tso dziƒo va xexea me, gake ame siawo lɔ̃ viviti wu Kekeli la, elabena woƒe nuwɔnawo vɔ̃ɖi ŋutɔ.
20 For he who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, for fear that his actions should be exposed;
Wolé fu Kekeli si tso dziƒo va la, elabena wodi vevie be yewoawɔ nu vɔ̃ le viviti me. Wote ɖa xaa tso Kekeli la gbɔ, elabena wovɔ̃ be yewoƒe nu vɔ̃wo adze le gaglãgbe.
21 but he who acts up to the truth comes to the light, that his actions may be shown to have been done in dependence upon God.
Gake ame siwo le nyateƒe la dzi wɔm la vaa Kekeli la gbɔ be ame sia ame nakpɔe be yewole Mawu ƒe lɔlɔ̃nu wɔm.
22 After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the country parts of Judea; and there he stayed with them, and baptized.
Le esia megbe la, Yesu kple eƒe nusrɔ̃lawo dzo le Yerusalem heyi Yudea nyigba dzi, afi si wonɔ ŋkeke ʋɛ aɖewo hede mawutsi ta na amewo.
23 John, also, was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there were many streams there; and people were constantly coming and being baptized.
Ke Yohanes hã nɔ mawutsi dem ta na amewo le Aenon, si te ɖe Salem ŋuti, elabena tsi sɔ gbɔ ɖe afi ma, eye amewo nɔ vavam enuenu be wòade mawutsi ta na yewo.
24 (For John had not yet been imprisoned).
(Esia do ŋgɔ na Yohanes léle de gaxɔ me.)
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew on the subject of ‘purification;’
Nyaʋiʋli ɖo Yohanes ƒe nusrɔ̃la aɖewo kple Yudatɔwo dome tso Yudatɔwo ƒe ŋutikɔklɔkɔnu la ŋu.
26 and the disciples came to John and said: “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, and to whom you have yourself borne testimony — he, also, is baptizing, and everybody is going to him.”
Esia na be nusrɔ̃lawo va Yohanes gbɔ va gblɔ nɛ be, “Nufiala, ŋutsu si nèdo goe le Yɔdan tɔsisi la godo, ame si ŋuti nèɖi ɖase le hã le mawutsi dem ta na amewo, eye ame geɖewo le egbɔ yim.”
27 John’s answer was — “A man can gain nothing but what is given him from Heaven.
Yohanes ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Nu si Mawu na ame tso dziƒo la ko wòate ŋu axɔ.
28 You are yourselves witnesses that I said ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before him as a Messenger.’
Miaɖo ŋku edzi be megblɔ na mi be, ‘Menye nyee nye Kristo la o, ke boŋ ame dɔdɔ menye le eyama ŋgɔ.’
29 It is the bridegroom who has the bride; but the bridegroom’s friend, who stands by and listens to him, is filled with joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This joy I have felt to the full.
Ŋugbetɔ la nye ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ la tɔ. Ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ xɔlɔ̃ si subɔa ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ la nɔa to dzi, eye wòkpɔa dzidzɔ ne ese ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ la ƒe gbe. Nyee nye ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ la xɔlɔ̃, eya ta dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ yɔ menye ɖe ŋugbetɔsrɔ̃ la ƒe dzidzedzekpɔkpɔ ta.
30 He must become greater, and I less.”
Ele be nàzu gã, ke nye la, mayi to.
31 He who comes from above is above all others; but a child of earth is earthly, and his teaching is earthly, too. He who comes from Heaven is above all others.
“Ame sia la, dziƒoe wòtso eye ede ŋgɔ wu amewo katã. Nye la, anyigba dzie metso eye nye nunya kple nugɔmesese mate ŋu akɔ wu anyigbadzitɔwo tɔ o.
32 He states what he has seen and what he heard, and yet no one accepts his statement.
Eɖia ɖase le nu si wokpɔ kple nu si wose la ŋuti, gake ame aɖeke mexɔa eƒe ɖaseɖiɖiwo dzi sena o.
33 They who did accept his statement attested the fact that God is true.
Ame si xɔ edzi se la ɖi ɖase be Mawue nye anukwaretɔ
34 For he whom God sent as his Messenger gives us God’s own teaching, for God does not limit the gift of the Spirit.
Elabena ame si Mawu ɖo ɖa gblɔa Mawu ƒe nyawo elabena Mawu na Gbɔgbɔ lae le agbɔsɔsɔ me.
35 The Father loves his Son, and has put everything in his hands.
Fofo la lɔ̃a Via sia ale gbegbe be etsɔ nu sia nu de asi nɛ.
36 He who believes in the Son has Immortal Life, while he who rejects the Son will not even see that Life, but remains under ‘God’s displeasure.’ (aiōnios g166)
Ame sia ame si xɔ Mawu ƒe Vi sia dzi se la akpɔ agbe mavɔ. Ke ame siwo meɖoa toe o, eye womexɔa edzi sena o la makpɔ agbe mavɔ la o, ke boŋ Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe anɔ wo dzi.” (aiōnios g166)
