< UJohane 3 >
1 Kwakukhona-ke umuntu wakubaFarisi, nguNikodima ibizo lakhe, isikhulu samaJuda;
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Judeans.
2 lo weza kuJesu ebusuku, wathi kuye: Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu; ngoba kakho ongenza lezizibonakaliso ozenzayo wena, uba uNkulunkulu engelaye.
He came to Yeshua by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for 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.
Yeshua answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
4 UNikodima wathi kuye: Umuntu angazalwa njani esemdala? Angangena yini ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina azalwe?
Nicodemus said to 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: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Uba umuntu engazalwanga ngamanzi langoMoya, angengene embusweni kaNkulunkulu.
Yeshua answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
6 Lokho okuzelwe yinyama kuyinyama; lalokho okuzelwe nguMoya kungumoya.
That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Ungamangali ukuthi ngithe kuwe: Kufanele ukuthi lizalwe ngokutsha.
Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’
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 wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 UNikodima waphendula wathi kuye: Lezizinto zingenzeka njani?
Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”
10 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Wena ungumfundisi wakoIsrayeli, kodwa kawuzazi lezizinto yini?
Yeshua answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?
11 Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kuwe: Sikhuluma esikwaziyo, sifakaze esikubonileyo; kodwa kalibemukeli ubufakazi bethu.
Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.
12 Nxa ngilitshelile izinto zomhlaba njalo lingakholwa, lizakholwa njani, uba ngilitshela izinto zezulwini?
If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 Njalo kakho owake wenyukela ezulwini, ngaphandle kowehla ezulwini, iNdodana yomuntu esezulwini.
No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
14 Futhi njengoba uMozisi waphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yomuntu imele ukuphakanyiswa;
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 ukuze wonke okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lempilo elaphakade. (aiōnios )
that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios )
16 Ngoba uNkulunkulu wawuthanda umhlaba ngokunjalo, ngakho wanika iNdodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa, ukuze wonke okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lempilo elaphakade. (aiōnios )
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios )
17 Ngoba uNkulunkulu kayithumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuthi iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo.
For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
18 Okholwa kiyo kalahlwa; kodwa ongakholwayo uselahliwe, ngoba engakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana kaNkulunkulu ezelwe yodwa.
He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.
19 Ukulahlwa kuyilokhu, ukuthi ukukhanya kufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya; ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil.
20 Ngoba wonke owenza okubi uzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ingasolwa.
For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.
21 Kodwa owenza iqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ibonakale, ukuthi yenziwe kuNkulunkulu.
But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
22 Emva kwalezizinto uJesu weza elizweni leJudiya labafundi bakhe; njalo wahlala khona kanye labo njalo wabhabhathiza.
After these things, Yeshua came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and immersed.
23 UJohane laye wayebhabhathiza eEnoni eduze leSalima, ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi khona; njalo babesiza bebhabhathizwa.
Yochanan also was immersing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were immersed;
24 Ngoba uJohane wayengakaphoselwa entolongweni.
for Yochanan was not yet thrown into prison.
25 Kwasekusiba khona ukuphikisana phakathi kwabafundi bakaJohane lamaJuda ngokuhlambulula.
Therefore a dispute arose on the part of Yochanan’s disciples with some Judeans about purification.
26 Basebesiza kuJohane bathi kuye: Rabi, lowo owawulaye ngaphetsheya kweJordani, owamfakazelayo, khangela yena uyabhabhathiza, njalo bayeza kuye bonke.
They came to Yochanan and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he immerses, and everyone is coming to him.”
27 UJohane waphendula wathi: Umuntu angemukele ulutho, ngaphandle kokuthi alunikwe luvela ezulwini.
Yochanan answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
28 Lina ngokwenu liyangifakazela ukuthi ngathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina, kodwa ukuthi ngithunyiwe ngaphambi kwakhe.
You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,’ but, ‘I have been sent before 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 and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full.
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 belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32 Lalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, ufakaza khona; kodwa kakho owemukela ubufakazi bakhe.
What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
33 Owemukele ubufakazi bakhe uphawulile ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.
34 Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo, ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; ngoba uNkulunkulu umnika uMoya kungeyisikho ngesilinganiso.
For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without 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 )
One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (aiōnios )