< UJohane 3 >
1 Kwakukhona-ke umuntu wakubaFarisi, nguNikodima ibizo lakhe, isikhulu samaJuda;
2 lo weza kuJesu ebusuku, wathi kuye: Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu; ngoba kakho ongenza lezizibonakaliso ozenzayo wena, uba uNkulunkulu engelaye.
3 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngokutsha, angewubone umbuso kaNkulunkulu.
4 UNikodima wathi kuye: Umuntu angazalwa njani esemdala? Angangena yini ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina azalwe?
5 UJesu waphendula wathi: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Uba umuntu engazalwanga ngamanzi langoMoya, angengene embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
6 Lokho okuzelwe yinyama kuyinyama; lalokho okuzelwe nguMoya kungumoya.
7 Ungamangali ukuthi ngithe kuwe: Kufanele ukuthi lizalwe ngokutsha.
8 Umoya uphephethela lapho othanda khona, uyawuzwa umdumo wawo, kodwa kawazi lapho ovela khona lalapho oya khona; unjalo wonke ozelwe nguMoya.
9 UNikodima waphendula wathi kuye: Lezizinto zingenzeka njani?
10 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Wena ungumfundisi wakoIsrayeli, kodwa kawuzazi lezizinto yini?
11 Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Sikhuluma esikwaziyo, sifakaze esikubonileyo; kodwa kalibemukeli ubufakazi bethu.
12 Nxa ngilitshelile izinto zomhlaba njalo lingakholwa, lizakholwa njani, uba ngilitshela izinto zezulwini?
13 Njalo kakho owake wenyukela ezulwini, ngaphandle kowehla ezulwini, iNdodana yomuntu esezulwini.
14 Futhi njengoba uMozisi waphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yomuntu imele ukuphakanyiswa;
15 ukuze wonke okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lempilo elaphakade. (aiōnios )
16 Ngoba uNkulunkulu wawuthanda umhlaba ngokunjalo, ngakho wanika iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lempilo elaphakade. (aiōnios )
17 Ngoba uNkulunkulu kayithumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuthi iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo.
18 Okholwa kiyo kalahlwa; kodwa ongakholwayo uselahliwe, ngoba engakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana kaNkulunkulu ezelwe yodwa.
19 Ukulahlwa kuyilokhu, ukuthi ukukhanya kufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya; ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
20 Ngoba wonke owenza okubi uzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ingasolwa.
21 Kodwa owenza iqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ibonakale, ukuthi yenziwe kuNkulunkulu.
22 Emva kwalezizinto uJesu weza elizweni leJudiya labafundi bakhe; njalo wahlala khona kanye labo njalo wabhabhathiza.
23 UJohane laye wayebhabhathiza eEnoni eduze leSalima, ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi khona; njalo babesiza bebhabhathizwa.
24 Ngoba uJohane wayengakaphoselwa entolongweni.
25 Kwasekusiba khona ukuphikisana phakathi kwabafundi bakaJohane lamaJuda ngokuhlambulula.
26 Basebesiza kuJohane bathi kuye: Rabi, lowo owawulaye ngaphetsheya kweJordani, owamfakazelayo, khangela yena uyabhabhathiza, njalo bayeza kuye bonke.
27 UJohane waphendula wathi: Umuntu angemukele ulutho, ngaphandle kokuthi alunikwe luvela ezulwini.
28 Lina ngokwenu liyangifakazela ukuthi ngathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina, kodwa ukuthi ngithunyiwe ngaphambi kwakhe.
29 Olomakoti ungumyeni; kodwa umngane womyeni, omiyo emuzwa, uthokoza ngentokozo ngelizwi lomyeni; ngakho lintokozo yami isiphelele.
30 Umele ukukhula yena, kodwa mina nginciphe.
31 Ovela phezulu uphezu kwakho konke. Ovela emhlabeni, ungowomhlaba, njalo ukhuluma okomhlaba; ovela ezulwini uphezu kwakho konke.
32 Lalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, ufakaza khona; kodwa kakho owemukela ubufakazi bakhe.
33 Owemukele ubufakazi bakhe uphawulile ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
34 Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo, ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu umnika uMoya kungeyisikho ngesilinganiso.
35 UYise uyayithanda iNdodana, njalo unikele izinto zonke esandleni sayo.
36 Yena okholwa eNdodaneni ulempilo elaphakade; kodwa yena ongakholwayo eNdodaneni, kayikubona impilo, kodwa ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luhlezi phezu kwakhe. (aiōnios )
