UJohane 1
1 Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, njalo uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.
In the beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.
2 Yena lo wayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.
He was in the beginning with God;
3 Zonke izinto zenziwa ngaye, njalo ngaphandle kwakhe kakulalutho lolulodwa olwenziwayo lolo olwenziweyo.
through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.
4 Impilo yayikuye, njalo impilo yayiyikukhanya kwabantu,
That which came into being in him was life; and the life was the light of humanity;
5 lokukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa ubumnyama kabukwemukelanga.
and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it.
6 Kwavela umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, obizo lakhe linguJohane;
There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John;
7 yena lo wezela ubufakazi, ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya, ukuze bonke bakholwe ngaye.
he came as a witness – to bear witness to the light so that through him everyone might believe.
8 Yena wayengayisikho ukukhanya, kodwa ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya.
He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light.
9 Kwakuyikukhanya okuqotho, okukhanyisa wonke umuntu oza emhlabeni.
That was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world.
10 Wayekhona emhlabeni, njalo umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, kodwa umhlaba kawumazanga.
He was in the world; and through him the world came into being – yet the world did not know him.
11 Weza kokwakhe, kodwa abakhe kabamemukelanga.
He came to his own – yet his own did not receive him.
12 Kodwa bonke abamemukelayo, wabapha amandla okuthi babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, labo abakholwa ebizweni lakhe;
But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God – to those who believe in his name.
13 abazalwa kungeyisikho ngegazi, langentando yenyama, langentando yendoda, kodwa nguNkulunkulu.
For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to human will did they owe the new life, but to God.
14 ULizwi wasesiba yinyama, wahlala phakathi kwethu, njalo sabona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo injengeyozelwe yedwa kaYise, egcwele umusa leqiniso.
And the Word became human, and lived among us, (We saw his glory – the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth.
15 UJohane wafakaza ngaye, wamemeza wathi: Nguye lo ebengisitsho ngaye ukuthi: Lowo ozayo emva kwami uphambi kwami; ngoba wayekhona kuqala kulami.
(John bears witness to him; he cried aloud – for it was he who spoke – “He who is coming after me is now before me, for he was ever first”);
16 Lekugcwaleni kwakhe thina semukele sonke, futhi umusa ngomusa;
out of his fullness we have all received gift after gift of love;
17 ngoba umlayo wanikwa ngoMozisi, umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Kristu.
for the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 Kakho owake wabona uNkulunkulu; iNdodana ezelwe yodwa, esesifubeni sikaYise, yiyo emvezileyo.
No one has ever yet seen God; God the only Son, who is ever with the Father – he has revealed him.
19 Njalo lobu yibufakazi bukaJohane, mhla amaJuda ethuma abapristi lamaLevi bevela eJerusalema ukuze bambuze ukuthi: Wena ungubani?
When the religious authorities in Jerusalem sent some Priests and Levites to ask John – “Who are you?”,
20 Wasevuma, kaphikanga; futhi wavuma wathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina.
he told them clearly and simply, “I am not the Christ.”
21 Bambuza futhi bathi: Kuyini pho? Wena unguElija yini? Wasesithi: Kangisuye. Wena ungulowomProfethi yini? Wasephendula wathi: Hatshi.
“What then?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” “Are you ‘the prophet’?” He answered, “No.”
22 Basebesithi kuye: Ungubani? Ukuze sibaphe impendulo abasithumileyo; uthini ngawe?
“Who then are you?” they continued. “Tell us so that we have an answer to give to those who have sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 Wathi: Mina ngiyilizwi lomemezayo enkangala: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, njengoba uIsaya umprofethi watsho.
“I,” he answered, “am – ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: make a straight road for the Lord’, as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Lalabo ababethunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi.
These men had been sent from the Pharisees;
25 Basebembuza, bathi kuye: Ubhabhathizelani pho, uba wena ungeyisuye uKristu, loElija, lalowomProfethi?
and their next question was, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ or Elijah or ‘the prophet’?”
26 UJohane wabaphendula, wathi: Mina ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi, lina elingamaziyo;
John’s answer was – “I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;
27 nguye ozayo emva kwami, ophambi kwami, engingafanele mina ukuthukulula umchilo wenyathela lakhe.
he is coming after me, yet I am not worthy even to unfasten his sandal.”
28 Lezizinto zenzeka eBethabara ngaphetsheya kweJordani, lapho uJohane ayebhabhathiza khona.
This happened at Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 Kusisa uJohane wabona uJesu esiza kuye, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu, elisusa isono somhlaba.
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed, “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 Nguye lo mina ebengilitshela ngaye ukuthi: Emva kwami kuza indoda, eyayikhona phambi kwami, ngoba yayikhona kuqala kulami.
I was talking about him when I said ‘After me there is coming a man who ranks ahead of me, because before I was born he already was.’
31 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa ukuze abonakaliswe kuIsrayeli, ngalokho mina ngizile ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi.
I did not know who he was, but I have come baptizing with water to make him known to Israel.”
32 UJohane wasefakaza, esithi: Ngibonile uMoya esehla ezulwini njengejuba, wahlala phezu kwakhe.
John also said: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and rest on him.
33 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa owangithumayo ukubhabhathiza ngamanzi, yena wathi kimi: Lowo ozabona uMoya esehlela phezu kwakhe ahlale kuye, nguye obhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.
I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him – he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 Mina ngibonile, ngafakaza ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
This I have seen myself, and I have declared my belief that he is the Son of God.”
35 Kusisa futhi uJohane wayemi, lababili kubafundi bakhe;
The next day, when John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 wasekhangela uJesu ehambahamba, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu.
he looked at Jesus as he passed and exclaimed, “There is the Lamb of God!”
37 Abafundi ababili bamuzwa ekhuluma, basebemlandela uJesu.
The two disciples heard him say this, and followed Jesus.
38 Kwathi uJesu enyemukula ebabona belandela, wathi kubo: Lidingani? Basebesithi kuye: Rabi, (okuyikuthi ngokuphendulelwa, Mfundisi) uhlala ngaphi?
But Jesus turned around, and saw them following. “What are you looking for?” he asked. “Rabbi,” they answered (or, as we should say, ‘Teacher’), “where are you staying?”
39 Wathi kubo: Wozani libone. Beza babona lapho ayehlala khona; bahlala laye ngalolosuku; kwakungaba lihola letshumi.
“Come, and you will see,” he replied. So they went, and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was then about four in the afternoon.
40 UAndreya umfowabo kaSimoni Petro wayengomunye wababili ababekuzwe ngoJohane bamlandela.
One of the two, who heard what John said and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
41 Yena wathola kuqala umfowabo uqobo uSimoni, wathi kuye: Simtholile uMesiya, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi, uKristu.
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (a word which means ‘Christ,’ or ‘Consecrated’.)
42 Wasemletha kuJesu. UJesu esemkhangele wathi: Wena unguSimoni indodana kaJona; uzathiwa nguKefasi, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi uPetro.
Then he brought him to Jesus. Looking straight at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas” (which means ‘Peter,’ or ‘Rock’).
43 Kusisa uJesu wayefuna ukusuka aye eGalili, wathola uFiliphu, wathi kuye: Ngilandela.
The following day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip, and said to him, “Follow me.”
44 UFiliphu-ke wayengoweBhethisayida, emzini wakibo kaAndreya loPetro.
Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45 UFiliphu wathola uNathaniyeli, wathi kuye: Simtholile lowo abhala ngaye uMozisi emlayweni labaprofethi, uJesu weNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.
He found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and of whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph’s son!”
46 UNathaniyeli wasesithi kuye: Kambe kungavela okuhle eNazaretha? UFiliphu wathi kuye: Woza ubone.
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” asked Nathanael. “Come and see,” replied Philip.
47 UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli esiza kuye, wathi ngaye: Khangelani umIsrayeli uqobo, okungekho nkohliso kuye.
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!”
48 UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: Ungazela ngaphi? UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: UFiliphu engakakubizi, ungaphansi komkhiwa, ngakubona.
“How do you know me?” asked Nathanael. “Even before Philip called you,” replied Jesus, “when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 UNathaniyeli waphendula wathi kuye: Rabi, wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wena uyiNkosi kaIsrayeli.
“Rabbi,” Nathanael exclaimed, “you are the Son of God, you are king of Israel!”
50 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Uyakholwa ngoba ngithe kuwe, bengikubona ungaphansi komkhiwa. Uzabona izinto ezinkulu kulalezi.
“Do you believe in me,” asked Jesus, “because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than those!
51 Wasesithi kuye: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Kusukela khathesi lizabona izulu livulekile, lengilosi zikaNkulunkulu zisenyuka zisehla phezu kweNdodana yomuntu.
In truth I tell you,” he added, “you will all see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
