UJohane 3
1 Kwakukhona-ke umuntu wakubaFarisi, nguNikodima ibizo lakhe, isikhulu samaJuda;
Now there was a man among the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 lo weza kuJesu ebusuku, wathi kuye: Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu; ngoba kakho ongenza lezizibonakaliso ozenzayo wena, uba uNkulunkulu engelaye.
The same went to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come as a teacher from God, because no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngokutsha, angewubone umbuso kaNkulunkulu.
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten from Above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.”
4 UNikodima wathi kuye: Umuntu angazalwa njani esemdala? Angangena yini ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina azalwe?
Nicodemus says to Him: “How can a man be begotten, being old? He can't enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?”
5 UJesu waphendula wathi: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Uba umuntu engazalwanga ngamanzi langoMoya, angengene embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
Jesus answered: “Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten by water and Spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of God.
6 Lokho okuzelwe yinyama kuyinyama; lalokho okuzelwe nguMoya kungumoya.
That which has been begotten by the flesh is flesh, and that which has been begotten by the Spirit is spirit.
7 Ungamangali ukuthi ngithe kuwe: Kufanele ukuthi lizalwe ngokutsha.
Do not be perplexed that I said to you, ‘You (pl) need to be begotten from Above.’
8 Umoya uphephethela lapho othanda khona, uyawuzwa umdumo wawo, kodwa kawazi lapho ovela khona lalapho oya khona; unjalo wonke ozelwe nguMoya.
The wind blows where it wishes, and you (sg) hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who has been begotten by the Spirit.”
9 UNikodima waphendula wathi kuye: Lezizinto zingenzeka njani?
Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Wena ungumfundisi wakoIsrayeli, kodwa kawuzazi lezizinto yini?
Jesus answered and said to Him: “You are the teacher of Israel, yet you do not understand these things?
11 Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Sikhuluma esikwaziyo, sifakaze esikubonileyo; kodwa kalibemukeli ubufakazi bethu.
Most assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you (pl) do not receive our testimony.
12 Nxa ngilitshelile izinto zomhlaba njalo lingakholwa, lizakholwa njani, uba ngilitshela izinto zezulwini?
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I should tell you the heavenly?
13 Njalo kakho owake wenyukela ezulwini, ngaphandle kowehla ezulwini, iNdodana yomuntu esezulwini.
No one has gone up into Heaven except the One who came down out of Heaven —the Son of the Man, who is in Heaven.
14 Futhi njengoba uMozisi waphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yomuntu imele ukuphakanyiswa;
Also, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, just so the Son of the Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes into Him should not be wasted, but should have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
16 Ngoba uNkulunkulu wawuthanda umhlaba ngokunjalo, ngakho wanika iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lempilo elaphakade. (aiōnios g166)
Because God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes into Him should not be wasted, but should have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 Ngoba uNkulunkulu kayithumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuthi iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo.
For God did not send His Son into the world in order to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
18 Okholwa kiyo kalahlwa; kodwa ongakholwayo uselahliwe, ngoba engakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana kaNkulunkulu ezelwe yodwa.
The one believing into Him is not condemned, but the one not believing has already been condemned, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 Ukulahlwa kuyilokhu, ukuthi ukukhanya kufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya; ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
“Now this is the basis for the condemning, that the Light has come into the world, but the people loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were malignant.
20 Ngoba wonke owenza okubi uzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ingasolwa.
For whoever practices evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
21 Kodwa owenza iqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ibonakale, ukuthi yenziwe kuNkulunkulu.
But whoever does the truth comes to the Light so that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they are done in God.”
22 Emva kwalezizinto uJesu weza elizweni leJudiya labafundi bakhe; njalo wahlala khona kanye labo njalo wabhabhathiza.
After these things Jesus, with His disciples, went into the Judean countryside, and there He spent time with them and baptized.
23 UJohane laye wayebhabhathiza eEnoni eduze leSalima, ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi khona; njalo babesiza bebhabhathizwa.
Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salem, because there was plenty of water there. And people were coming and being baptized;
24 Ngoba uJohane wayengakaphoselwa entolongweni.
for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Kwasekusiba khona ukuphikisana phakathi kwabafundi bakaJohane lamaJuda ngokuhlambulula.
Then some of John's disciples had an argument with a Judean about purification.
26 Basebesiza kuJohane bathi kuye: Rabi, lowo owawulaye ngaphetsheya kweJordani, owamfakazelayo, khangela yena uyabhabhathiza, njalo bayeza kuye bonke.
So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the One who was with you across the Jordan, about whom you have testified—well, here He is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to Him!”
27 UJohane waphendula wathi: Umuntu angemukele ulutho, ngaphandle kokuthi alunikwe luvela ezulwini.
John answered and said: “A person can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from Heaven.
28 Lina ngokwenu liyangifakazela ukuthi ngathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina, kodwa ukuthi ngithunyiwe ngaphambi kwakhe.
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’
29 Olomakoti ungumyeni; kodwa umngane womyeni, omiyo emuzwa, uthokoza ngentokozo ngelizwi lomyeni; ngakho lintokozo yami isiphelele.
He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and hears him, has great joy at the bridegroom's voice. So this my joy has been fulfilled.
30 Umele ukukhula yena, kodwa mina nginciphe.
He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 Ovela phezulu uphezu kwakho konke. Ovela emhlabeni, ungowomhlaba, njalo ukhuluma okomhlaba; ovela ezulwini uphezu kwakho konke.
“He who comes from Above is above all; he who is from the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.
32 Lalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, ufakaza khona; kodwa kakho owemukela ubufakazi bakhe.
And to what He has seen and heard He testifies, yet no one receives His testimony.
33 Owemukele ubufakazi bakhe uphawulile ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
The one who receives His testimony certifies that God is true.
34 Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo, ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu umnika uMoya kungeyisikho ngesilinganiso.
For He whom God sent speaks God's words, because God does not give the Spirit by measure.
35 UYise uyayithanda iNdodana, njalo unikele izinto zonke esandleni sayo.
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
36 Yena okholwa eNdodaneni ulempilo elaphakade; kodwa yena ongakholwayo eNdodaneni, kayikubona impilo, kodwa ulaka lukaNkulunkulu luhlezi phezu kwakhe. (aiōnios g166)
The one believing into the Son has eternal life, but the one disobeying the Son will not see the Life, but the wrath of God will remain upon him.” (aiōnios g166)
