UJohane 3
1 Kwakulendoda engumFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodimasi, ililunga lomphakathi wamaJuda abusayo.
There was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 Yaya kuJesu ebusuku yathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngoba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena nxa uNkulunkulu engelaye.”
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 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi kini, akakho ozawubona umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba azalwe kutsha.”
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 UNikhodimasi wathi, “Kanti umuntu angazalwa kanjani yena esemdala na? Ngeqiniso, angazake angene ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina ukuze azalwe!”
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 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, angeke awungene umbuso kaNkulunkulu.
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 Inyama izala inyama, kodwa uMoya uzala umoya.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Ungamangaliswa yikuthi ngithi, ‘Kumele lizalwe kutsha.’
Don’t marvel that I told you, ‘You must be born again.’
8 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.”
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 UNikhodimasi wabuza wathi, “Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”
Nicodemus asked Him, “How can these things be?”
10 UJesu wathi, “Ungumfundisi wako-Israyeli, pho kungani ungazwisisi izinto lezi na?
“Are you Israel’s teacher,” asked Jesus, “and yet you don’t understand these things?
11 Ngiqinisile ngithi sikhuluma ngesikwaziyo njalo sifakaza ngesikubonileyo, kodwa lina bantu kalibamukeli ubufakazi bethu.
Most assuredly, I tell you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.
12 Ngikhulume kini ngezinto zalapha emhlabeni, kodwa kalikholwa; pho lizakholwa kanjani nxa ngingakhuluma ngokwasezulwini?
If I have told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 Kakho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu.
No one has ever gone up into Heaven except the one who came from Heaven — the Son of Man.
14 NjengoMosi owaphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu kumele iphakanyiswe,
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 UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe kangaka waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo. (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 Ngoba uNkulunkulu kathumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuze iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo.
For God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
18 Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngoba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu.
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 Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
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 Wonke umuntu owenza ububi uyakuzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni ngoba esesaba ukuthi izenzo zakhe zizabekwa obala.
Everyone who practices evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
21 Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.
Whoever practices the truth comes to the light to show clearly that their deeds have been done with God.”
22 Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile ebhaphathiza.
After this, Jesus and His disciples went out into the countryside of Judea, where He remained with them, and baptized.
23 Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa.
John was also baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there, and people kept coming to be baptized.
24 (Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.)
John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lomkhuba wokuzihlambulula.
There were some questions between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani; yona leyana owafakaza ngayo; iyabhaphathiza bonke abantu sebesiya kuyo.”
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 Waphendula uJohane wathi, “Umuntu wamukela kuphela lokho akuphiwayo kuvela ezulwini.
John replied, “A man can receive nothing, unless it’s given to him from Heaven.
28 Lina ngokwenu lingakufakaza ukuthi ngathi, ‘Kangisuye uKhristu, kodwa ngithunyiwe ukumandulela.’
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I’m not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’
29 Umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Umkhaphi womyeni uyamnakekela, amlalele, abelokuthokoza nxa esizwa ilizwi lomyeni. Lokho kuthokoza ngokwami njalo okwamanje sekuphelele.
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 Yena ufanele abemkhulu; mina kufanele kunciphe ukuqakatheka kwami.”
He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 Lowo ovela phezulu ungaphezulu kwakho konke; lowo ovela emhlabeni ungowomhlaba, ukhuluma njengalowo ovela emhlabeni. Lowo ovela ezulwini ungaphezu kwakho konke.
“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 Ufakaza ngalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, kodwa kakho owamukela ubufakazi bakhe.
He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony.
33 Lowomuntu obamukelayo usegcizelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
The man who has accepted His testimony has certified that God is truthful.
34 Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; yena uNkulunkulu umupha umoya kungelakulinganiswa.
The one that God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure.
35 UYise uyayithanda iNdodana njalo useyiphe amandla phezu kwezinto zonke.
The Father sincerely loves the Son, and has given everything into His hand.
36 Loba ngubani obeke ithemba lakhe eNdodaneni ulokuphila okungapheliyo, kodwa loba ngubani oyilahlayo iNdodana kazukuyibona leyompilo ngoba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lohlala luphezu kwakhe. (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)
