Yohanes 3
1 Azɔ la, ame aɖe si tso Farisitɔwo dome, eye eŋkɔe nye Nikodemo la li. Enye Yudatɔwo ƒe takpekpe gã me nɔla.
There was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 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.
This man came to Jesus by night, and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Yesu ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Vavã mele egblɔm na wò be, ne womegbugbɔ ame dzi o la, mate ŋu ayi mawufiaɖuƒe la me o.”
Jesus answered and told him, “Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born again, that person can’t see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nikodemo gblɔ be, “Aleke wɔ ametsitsi nagatrɔ ayi dadaa ƒe dɔ me be woagbugbɔe adzii?”
Nicodemus asked Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t go back into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”
5 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.
Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, that one can’t enter the Kingdom of God.
6 Amegbetɔ ate ŋu adzi ŋutilã ko, gake Gbɔgbɔ Kɔkɔe lae naa agbe yeye tso dziƒo.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Le esia ta megawɔ nuku na wò be megblɔ na wò be ele be woagbugbɔ wò adzi o.
Don’t marvel that I told you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 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.”
The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but can’t tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nikodemo gabia Yesu be, “Aleke esia ate ŋu ava emee?”
Nicodemus asked Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Yesu ɖo eŋu nɛ be, “Wò, Israel ƒe nufiala, mèse nu siawo gɔme oa?
“Are you Israel’s teacher,” asked Jesus, “and yet you don’t understand these things?
11 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.
Most assuredly, I tell you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.
12 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?
If I have told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 Elabena Amegbetɔ Vi la koe tso dziƒo va anyigba dzi, eye wòagatrɔ ayi dziƒo.
No one has ever gone up into Heaven except the one who came from Heaven — the Son of Man.
14 Abe ale si Mose kɔ akɔblida la ɖe dzi le gbea dzi ene la, nenema ke woakɔ Amegbetɔ Vi la ɖe dzii,
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
that everyone who believes in Him should not die, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
16 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)
For God so sincerely loved the world that He gave His only born Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (aiōnios g166)
17 Mawu meɖo Via ɖa be wòava drɔ̃ ʋɔnu xexea me o, ke boŋ be wòaɖe xexea me to edzi.
For God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
18 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.
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever doesn’t believe is condemned already because that person has not believed in the name of God’s only Son.
19 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.
This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, but people sincerely loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 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.
Everyone who practices evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 Gake ame siwo le nyateƒe la dzi wɔm la vaa Kekeli la gbɔ be ame sia ame nakpɔe be yewole Mawu ƒe lɔlɔ̃nu wɔm.
Whoever practices the truth comes to the light to show clearly that their deeds have been done with God.”
22 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.
After this, Jesus and His disciples went out into the countryside of Judea, where He remained with them, and baptized.
23 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.
John was also baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there, and people kept coming to be baptized.
24 (Esia do ŋgɔ na Yohanes léle de gaxɔ me.)
John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Nyaʋiʋli ɖo Yohanes ƒe nusrɔ̃la aɖewo kple Yudatɔwo dome tso Yudatɔwo ƒe ŋutikɔklɔkɔnu la ŋu.
There were some questions between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 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.”
They came to John and told him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, that you have testified about — look, He is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to Him!”
27 Yohanes ɖo eŋu na wo be, “Nu si Mawu na ame tso dziƒo la ko wòate ŋu axɔ.
John replied, “A man can receive nothing, unless it’s given to him from Heaven.
28 Miaɖo ŋku edzi be megblɔ na mi be, ‘Menye nyee nye Kristo la o, ke boŋ ame dɔdɔ menye le eyama ŋgɔ.’
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I’m not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’
29 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.
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and rejoices when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This joy of mine is now made complete.
30 Ele be nàzu gã, ke nye la, mayi to.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 “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.
“He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the Earth belongs to the Earth and speaks of the Earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.
32 Eɖia ɖase le nu si wokpɔ kple nu si wose la ŋuti, gake ame aɖeke mexɔa eƒe ɖaseɖiɖiwo dzi sena o.
He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony.
33 Ame si xɔ edzi se la ɖi ɖase be Mawue nye anukwaretɔ
The man who has accepted His testimony has certified that God is truthful.
34 Elabena ame si Mawu ɖo ɖa gblɔa Mawu ƒe nyawo elabena Mawu na Gbɔgbɔ lae le agbɔsɔsɔ me.
The one that God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure.
35 Fofo la lɔ̃a Via sia ale gbegbe be etsɔ nu sia nu de asi nɛ.
The Father sincerely loves the Son, and has given everything into His hand.
36 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)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son won’t see life, for God’s wrath remains on that person.” (aiōnios g166)
