< UJohane 1 >

1 Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, njalo uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;
2 Yena lo wayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.
this One was in the beginning with God;
3 Zonke izinto zenziwa ngaye, njalo ngaphandle kwakhe kakulalutho lolulodwa olwenziwayo lolo olwenziweyo.
all things happened through Him, and without Him not even one thing happened that has happened.
4 Impilo yayikuye, njalo impilo yayiyikukhanya kwabantu,
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men,
5 lokukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa ubumnyama kabukwemukelanga.
and the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not perceive it.
6 Kwavela umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, obizo lakhe linguJohane;
There came a man—having been sent from God—whose name [is] John,
7 yena lo wezela ubufakazi, ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya, ukuze bonke bakholwe ngaye.
this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him;
8 Yena wayengayisikho ukukhanya, kodwa ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya.
that one was not the Light, but—that he might testify about the Light.
9 Kwakuyikukhanya okuqotho, okukhanyisa wonke umuntu oza emhlabeni.
He was the true Light, which enlightens every man, coming into the world;
10 Wayekhona emhlabeni, njalo umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, kodwa umhlaba kawumazanga.
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him:
11 Weza kokwakhe, kodwa abakhe kabamemukelanga.
He came to [His] own, and [His] own did not receive Him;
12 Kodwa bonke abamemukelayo, wabapha amandla okuthi babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, labo abakholwa ebizweni lakhe;
but as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become sons of God—to those believing in His Name,
13 abazalwa kungeyisikho ngegazi, langentando yenyama, langentando yendoda, kodwa nguNkulunkulu.
who were begotten, not of blood, nor of will of flesh, nor of will of man, but of God.
14 ULizwi wasesiba yinyama, wahlala phakathi kwethu, njalo sabona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo injengeyozelwe yedwa kaYise, egcwele umusa leqiniso.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of [the] only begotten of [the] Father, full of grace and truth.
15 UJohane wafakaza ngaye, wamemeza wathi: Nguye lo ebengisitsho ngaye ukuthi: Lowo ozayo emva kwami uphambi kwami; ngoba wayekhona kuqala kulami.
John testifies concerning Him, and has cried, saying, “This was He of whom I said, He who is coming after me has come before me, for He was before me.”
16 Lekugcwaleni kwakhe thina semukele sonke, futhi umusa ngomusa;
And we all received out of His fullness, and grace for grace;
17 ngoba umlayo wanikwa ngoMozisi, umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Kristu.
for the Law was given through Moses, the grace and the truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 Kakho owake wabona uNkulunkulu; iNdodana ezelwe yodwa, esesifubeni sikaYise, yiyo emvezileyo.
No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God who is on the bosom of the Father—He has expounded [Him].
19 Njalo lobu yibufakazi bukaJohane, mhla amaJuda ethuma abapristi lamaLevi bevela eJerusalema ukuze bambuze ukuthi: Wena ungubani?
And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites out of Jerusalem, that they might question him, “Who are you?”
20 Wasevuma, kaphikanga; futhi wavuma wathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina.
And he confessed and did not deny, and confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 Bambuza futhi bathi: Kuyini pho? Wena unguElija yini? Wasesithi: Kangisuye. Wena ungulowomProfethi yini? Wasephendula wathi: Hatshi.
And they questioned him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he says, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 Basebesithi kuye: Ungubani? Ukuze sibaphe impendulo abasithumileyo; uthini ngawe?
Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those sending us? What do you say concerning yourself?”
23 Wathi: Mina ngiyilizwi lomemezayo enkangala: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, njengoba uIsaya umprofethi watsho.
He said, “I [am] a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD, as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24 Lalabo ababethunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi.
And those sent were of the Pharisees,
25 Basebembuza, bathi kuye: Ubhabhathizelani pho, uba wena ungeyisuye uKristu, loElija, lalowomProfethi?
and they questioned him and said to him, “Why, then, do you immerse, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
26 UJohane wabaphendula, wathi: Mina ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi, lina elingamaziyo;
John answered them, saying, “I immerse in water, but in the midst of you has stood He whom you have not known, it is this One who is coming after me, who has been before me,
27 nguye ozayo emva kwami, ophambi kwami, engingafanele mina ukuthukulula umchilo wenyathela lakhe.
of whom I am not worthy that I may loose the strap of His sandal.”
28 Lezizinto zenzeka eBethabara ngaphetsheya kweJordani, lapho uJohane ayebhabhathiza khona.
These things came to pass in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was immersing.
29 Kusisa uJohane wabona uJesu esiza kuye, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu, elisusa isono somhlaba.
On the next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;
30 Nguye lo mina ebengilitshela ngaye ukuthi: Emva kwami kuza indoda, eyayikhona phambi kwami, ngoba yayikhona kuqala kulami.
this is He concerning whom I said, After me comes a Man who has come before me, because He was before me:
31 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa ukuze abonakaliswe kuIsrayeli, ngalokho mina ngizile ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi.
and I did not know Him, but that He might be revealed to Israel, because of this I came immersing in water.”
32 UJohane wasefakaza, esithi: Ngibonile uMoya esehla ezulwini njengejuba, wahlala phezu kwakhe.
And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit coming down out of Heaven as a dove, and [that] One remained on Him;
33 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa owangithumayo ukubhabhathiza ngamanzi, yena wathi kimi: Lowo ozabona uMoya esehlela phezu kwakhe ahlale kuye, nguye obhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.
and I did not know Him, but He who sent me to immerse in water, He said to me, On whomsoever you may see the Spirit coming down, and remaining on Him, this is He who is immersing in the Holy Spirit;
34 Mina ngibonile, ngafakaza ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
and I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.”
35 Kusisa futhi uJohane wayemi, lababili kubafundi bakhe;
On the next day, again, John was standing, and two of his disciples,
36 wasekhangela uJesu ehambahamba, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu.
and having looked on Jesus walking, he says, “Behold, the Lamb of God”;
37 Abafundi ababili bamuzwa ekhuluma, basebemlandela uJesu.
and the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus.
38 Kwathi uJesu enyemukula ebabona belandela, wathi kubo: Lidingani? Basebesithi kuye: Rabi, (okuyikuthi ngokuphendulelwa, Mfundisi) uhlala ngaphi?
And Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, says to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is, being interpreted, Teacher), “where do You remain?”
39 Wathi kubo: Wozani libone. Beza babona lapho ayehlala khona; bahlala laye ngalolosuku; kwakungaba lihola letshumi.
He says to them, “Come and see”; they came and saw where He remains, and they remained with Him that day and the hour was about the tenth.
40 UAndreya umfowabo kaSimoni Petro wayengomunye wababili ababekuzwe ngoJohane bamlandela.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard from John, and followed Him;
41 Yena wathola kuqala umfowabo uqobo uSimoni, wathi kuye: Simtholile uMesiya, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi, uKristu.
this one first finds his own brother Simon and says to him, “We have found the Messiah,” (which is, being interpreted, Anointed One),
42 Wasemletha kuJesu. UJesu esemkhangele wathi: Wena unguSimoni indodana kaJona; uzathiwa nguKefasi, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi uPetro.
and he brought him to Jesus: and having looked on him, Jesus says, “You are Simon, the son of Jonas, you will be called Cephas,” (which is interpreted, A rock).
43 Kusisa uJesu wayefuna ukusuka aye eGalili, wathola uFiliphu, wathi kuye: Ngilandela.
On the next day He willed to go forth to Galilee, and He finds Philip and says to him, “Follow Me.”
44 UFiliphu-ke wayengoweBhethisayida, emzini wakibo kaAndreya loPetro.
And Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter;
45 UFiliphu wathola uNathaniyeli, wathi kuye: Simtholile lowo abhala ngaye uMozisi emlayweni labaprofethi, uJesu weNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.
Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, “Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the Prophets, we have found, Jesus the Son of Joseph, who [is] from Nazareth!”
46 UNathaniyeli wasesithi kuye: Kambe kungavela okuhle eNazaretha? UFiliphu wathi kuye: Woza ubone.
And Nathanael said to him, “Is any good thing able to be out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli esiza kuye, wathi ngaye: Khangelani umIsrayeli uqobo, okungekho nkohliso kuye.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and He says concerning him, “Behold, truly an Israelite, in whom is no guile”;
48 UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: Ungazela ngaphi? UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: UFiliphu engakakubizi, ungaphansi komkhiwa, ngakubona.
Nathanael says to Him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip’s calling you, being under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 UNathaniyeli waphendula wathi kuye: Rabi, wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wena uyiNkosi kaIsrayeli.
Nathanael answered and says to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the King of Israel.”
50 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Uyakholwa ngoba ngithe kuwe, bengikubona ungaphansi komkhiwa. Uzabona izinto ezinkulu kulalezi.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe; you will see greater things than these”;
51 Wasesithi kuye: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Kusukela khathesi lizabona izulu livulekile, lengilosi zikaNkulunkulu zisenyuka zisehla phezu kweNdodana yomuntu.
and He says to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, from now on you will see Heaven opened, and the messengers of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”

< UJohane 1 >