UJohane 3
1 Kwakulendoda engumFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodimasi, ililunga lomphakathi wamaJuda abusayo.
Now there was a man of the pharisees, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews:
2 Yaya kuJesu ebusuku yathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngoba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena nxa uNkulunkulu engelaye.”
who came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for none can do these miracles which thou dost, unless God be with him.
3 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi kini, akakho ozawubona umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba azalwe kutsha.”
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily verily I tell thee, Unless a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 UNikhodimasi wathi, “Kanti umuntu angazalwa kanjani yena esemdala na? Ngeqiniso, angazake angene ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina ukuze azalwe!”
Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, angeke awungene umbuso kaNkulunkulu.
Jesus answered, I tell thee of a truth, Unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into 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.’
Do not wonder that I said unto thee, Ye 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.”
As the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound of it, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 UNikhodimasi wabuza wathi, “Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”
Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be?
10 UJesu wathi, “Ungumfundisi wako-Israyeli, pho kungani ungazwisisi izinto lezi na?
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel and knowest not these things?
11 Ngiqinisile ngithi sikhuluma ngesikwaziyo njalo sifakaza ngesikubonileyo, kodwa lina bantu kalibamukeli ubufakazi bethu.
I assure thee, that we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; though ye receive not our testimony.
12 Ngikhulume kini ngezinto zalapha emhlabeni, kodwa kalikholwa; pho lizakholwa kanjani nxa ngingakhuluma ngokwasezulwini?
If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I should tell you heavenly ones?
13 Kakho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu.
For no one hath ascended up into heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.
14 NjengoMosi owaphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu kumele iphakanyiswe,
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up:
that whosoever believeth on Him may not perish, 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 loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him might 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 sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved by Him.
18 Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngoba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu.
He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not, is already condemned; because he hath not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
19 Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men 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.
For every one that doth evil, hateth the light; and he cometh not to the light, least his deeds should be reproved.
21 Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.
But he that acts according to truth, cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
22 Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile ebhaphathiza.
After these things came Jesus, and his disciples into the land of Judea: and He stayed with them there, and baptized.
23 Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa.
And John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim; because there was much water there: and people came to him and were baptized.
24 (Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.)
For John was not yet cast into prison.
25 Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lomkhuba wokuzihlambulula.
Now there arose a dispute between some of the disciples of John, and the Jews, about purifying.
26 Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani; yona leyana owafakaza ngayo; iyabhaphathiza bonke abantu sebesiya kuyo.”
And they came to John, and said unto him, Rabbi, He that was with thee on the other side Jordan, to whom thou barest testimony, behold, He baptizeth and all the people come to Him.
27 Waphendula uJohane wathi, “Umuntu wamukela kuphela lokho akuphiwayo kuvela ezulwini.
John answered and said, A man can take nothing upon him, unless it be given him from heaven.
28 Lina ngokwenu lingakufakaza ukuthi ngathi, ‘Kangisuye uKhristu, kodwa ngithunyiwe ukumandulela.’
Ye your selves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but am sent before Him.
29 Umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Umkhaphi womyeni uyamnakekela, amlalele, abelokuthokoza nxa esizwa ilizwi lomyeni. Lokho kuthokoza ngokwami njalo okwamanje sekuphelele.
He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth with great joy at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore my joy is 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, that cometh from above, is above all: he that is of the earth, is earthly, and talketh like one of the earth:
32 Ufakaza ngalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, kodwa kakho owamukela ubufakazi bakhe.
but He that cometh from heaven, is above all: and what He hath seen and heard, this He testifieth: and yet scarce any one receiveth his testimony.
33 Lowomuntu obamukelayo usegcizelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
He that hath received his testimony, hath set his seal to this, that God is true:
34 Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; yena uNkulunkulu umupha umoya kungelakulinganiswa.
for He, whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God: for God giveth the Spirit to Him not by measure.
35 UYise uyayithanda iNdodana njalo useyiphe amandla phezu kwezinto zonke.
The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all 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)
wherefore he that believeth on the Son, hath eternal life; and he that obeyeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. (aiōnios g166)
