UJohane 7
1 Njalo emva kwalezizinto uJesu wayehamba eGalili; ngoba wayengathandi ukuhamba eJudiya, ngenxa yokuthi amaJuda ayedinga ukumbulala.
After this, Jesus went about in Galilee, for he would not do so in Judea, because the Jews were eager to put him to death.
2 Wawusondele umkhosi wamaJuda wokwakha amadumba.
When the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near,
3 Ngakho abafowabo bathi kuye: Suka lapha, uye eJudiya, ukuze labafundi bakho babone imisebenzi yakho oyenzayo.
his brothers said to him: “Leave this part of the country, and go into Judea, so that your disciples, as well as we, may see the work that you are doing.
4 Ngoba kakho owenza ulutho ensitha, kodwa yena ngokwakhe edinga ukuba sobala. Uba uzenza lezizinto, ziveze wena emhlabeni.
For no one does a thing privately, if he is seeking to be widely known. Since you do these things, you should show yourself publicly to the world.”
5 Ngoba labafowabo babengakholwa kuye.
For even his brothers did not believe in him.
6 Ngakho uJesu wathi kubo: Isikhathi sami kasikafiki, kodwa esenu isikhathi sihlala silungile.
“My time,” answered Jesus, “is not come yet, but your time is always here.
7 Ungelizonde umhlaba lina; kodwa uyangizonda, ngoba mina ngifakaza ngawo, ukuthi imisebenzi yawo mibi.
The world cannot hate you, but it does hate me, because I testify that its ways are evil.
8 Yenyukelani lina emkhosini lo; mina angikenyukeli kulumkhosi, ngoba isikhathi sami kasikagcwaliseki.
Go yourselves up to the Festival; I am not going to this Festival yet, because my time has not yet come.”
9 Esetshilo lezizinto kubo, wahlala eGalili.
After telling them this, he stayed on in Galilee.
10 Kodwa sebenyukile abafowabo, laye wasesenyukela emkhosini, kungeyisikho obala, kodwa kungathi kusensitha.
But, when his brothers had gone up to the Festival, Jesus also went up — not publicly, but privately.
11 AmaJuda asemdinga emkhosini, athi: Ungaphi yena?
The Jews were looking for him at the Festival and asking ‘Where is he?’;
12 Kwakukhona ukukhonona okukhulu ngaye phakathi kwamaxuku; abanye bathi: Ulungile. Kodwa abanye bathi: Hatshi, kodwa uyaliduhisa ixuku.
and there were many whispers about him among the people, some saying ‘He is a good man;’ others: ‘No! he is leading the people astray.’
13 Loba kunjalo kwakungekho muntu owakhuluma obala ngaye ngokwesaba amaJuda.
No one, however, spoke freely about him, for fear of the Jews.
14 Kuthe sekuphakathi komkhosi, uJesu wenyukela ethempelini, wafundisa.
About the middle of the Festival week, Jesus went up into the Temple Courts, and began teaching.
15 AmaJuda asemangala athi: Lo uyazi njani imibhalo, engafundanga?
The Jews were astonished. “How has this man got his learning,” they asked, “when he has never studied?”
16 UJesu wawaphendula wathi: Imfundiso yami kayisiyo eyami kodwa ngeyalowo ongithumileyo.
So, in reply, Jesus said: “My teaching is not my own; it is his who sent me.
17 Uba umuntu ethanda ukwenza intando yakhe, uzakwazi ngemfundiso, ukuthi ivela kuNkulunkulu, kumbe ngizikhulumela mina ngokwami.
If any one has the will to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching is from God, or whether I speak on my own authority.
18 Ozikhulumela ngokwakhe, uzidingela udumo lwakhe; kodwa odinga udumo lwalowo omthumileyo, lowo uqinisile, njalo kakukho ukungalungi kuye.
The man who speaks on his own authority seeks honour for himself; but the man who seeks the honour of him that sent him is sincere, and there is nothing false in him.
19 Kalinikanga yini uMozisi umlayo, kanti kakho kini ogcina umlayo? Lidingelani ukungibulala?
Was not it Moses who gave you the Law? Yet not one of you obeys it! Why are you seeking to put me to death?”
20 Ixuku laphendula lathi: Uledimoni; ngubani odinga ukukubulala?
“You must be possessed by a demon!” the people exclaimed. “Who is seeking to put you to death?”
21 UJesu waphendula wathi kubo: Ngenze umsebenzi owodwa, njalo lonke liyamangala.
“There was one thing I did,” replied Jesus, “at which you are all still wondering.
22 Ngakho uMozisi walinika ukusoka (kungeyisikho ukuthi kwavela kuMozisi, kodwa kubobaba), njalo liyamsoka umuntu langesabatha.
“Is he going to kill himself,” the Jews exclaimed, “that he says — ‘You cannot go where I am going’?”
23 Uba ngesabatha umuntu esemukela ukusoka, ukuze kungephulwa umlayo kaMozisi, lingithukuthelela ngoba ngaphilisa umuntu ngokupheleleyo ngesabatha yini?
When a man receives circumcision on a Sabbath to prevent the Law of Moses from being broken, how can you be angry with me for making a man sound and well on a Sabbath?
24 Lingahluleli ngokubona, kodwa yahlulelani ukwahlulela okuqondileyo.
Do not judge by appearances; judge justly.”
25 Abanye kwabeJerusalema basebesithi: Lo kayisuye yini abadinga ukumbulala?
At this some of the people of Jerusalem exclaimed: “Is not this the man that they are seeking to put to death?
26 Kodwa khangela ukhuluma obala, kodwa kabatsho lutho kuye. Kungaba yikuthi ababusi sebesazi oqotho ukuthi lo unguKristu uqobo yini?
Yet here he is, speaking out boldly, and they say nothing to him! Is it possible that our leading men have really discovered that he is the Christ?
27 Kodwa lo siyazi lapho avela khona; kodwa uKristu nxa efika, kakho ozakwazi lapho avela khona.
Yet we know where this man is from; but, when the Christ comes, no one will be able to tell where he is from.”
28 Ngakho uJesu efundisa ethempelini wamemeza wathi: Lami liyangazi, liyakwazi lalapho engivela khona; njalo kangizizelanga ngokwami, kodwa ongithumileyo uqinisile, elingamaziyo lina.
Therefore, Jesus, as he was teaching in the Temple Courts, raised his voice and said: “Yes; you know me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own authority, but he who sent me may be trusted; and him you do not know.
29 Kodwa ngiyamazi mina, ngoba ngivela kuye, njalo yena ungithumile.
I do know him, for it is from him that I have come, and he sent me as his Messenger.”
30 Ngakho badinga ukumbamba, kodwa kakubanga khona owabeka isandla phezu kwakhe, ngoba ihola lakhe lalingakafiki.
So they sought to arrest him; but no one touched him, for his time was not come yet.
31 Kodwa abanengi bexuku bakholwa kuye, bathi: Nxa uKristu esefikile, uzakwenza yini izibonakaliso ezinengi kulalezi azenzileyo lo?
Many of the people, however, believed in him. “When the Christ comes,” they said, “will he give more signs of his mission than this man has given?”
32 AbaFarisi bezwa ixuku likhonona lezizinto ngaye; abapristi abakhulu labaFarisi basebethuma abancedisi ukuze bambambe.
The Pharisees heard the people whispering about him in this way, and so the Chief Priests and the Pharisees sent officers to arrest him;
33 UJesu wasesithi kubo: Ngiselani okwesikhatshana, besengihamba ngiye kongithumileyo.
on which Jesus said: “I shall be with you but a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.
34 Lizangidinga, lingangitholi, lalapho mina engikhona, lina lingeze leza.
You will look for me, and you will not find me; and you will not be able to come where I shall be.”
35 Ngakho amaJuda akhulumisana athi: Uzakuya ngaphi lo ukuthi thina singayikumthola? Kayikuya yini kwabahlakazekileyo bamaGriki, afundise amaGriki?
“Where is this man going,” the Jews asked one another, “that we shall not find him? Will he go to our countrymen abroad, and teach foreigners?
36 Yilizwi bani leli alitshoyo elokuthi: Lizangidinga, aliyikungithola; lelokuthi: Lapho engikhona mina, lina lingeze leza?
What does he mean by saying ‘You will look for me, and you will not find me; and you will not be able to come where I shall be’?”
37 Kwathi ngosuku lokucina olukhulu lomkhosi uJesu wema wamemeza, esithi: Uba ekhona owomileyo, keze kimi anathe.
On the last and greatest day of the Festival, Jesus, who was standing by, exclaimed: “If any one thirsts, let him come to me, and drink.
38 Okholwa kimi, njengokutsho kombhalo, kuzageleza kuphuma esiswini sakhe imifula yamanzi aphilayo.
I tell you what I have myself seen in the presence of my Father; and you, in the same way, do what you have learned from your father.”
39 Lalokhu wakutsho ngoMoya ababezamemukela abakholwa kuye; ngoba uMoya oNgcwele wayengakafiki, lokhu uJesu wayengakadunyiswa.
(By this he meant the Spirit, which those who had believed in him were to receive; for the Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been exalted.)
40 Ngakho abanengi bexuku besizwa lelilizwi bathi: Oqotho lo ungulowomProfethi.
But, as it is, you are seeking to put me to death — a man who has told you the Truth as he heard it from God. Abraham did not act in that way.
41 Abanye bathi: Lo unguKristu. Kodwa abanye bathi: Kambe uKristu uzavela eGalili?
You are doing what your own father does.” “We are not bastards,” they said, “we have one Father — God himself.”
42 Kawutsho yini umbhalo ukuthi uKristu uzavela enzalweni kaDavida, leBhethelehema, emzaneni lapho uDavida ayekhona?
Is not it said in Scripture that it is of the race of David, and from Bethlehem, the village to which David belonged, that the Christ is to come?”
43 Ngakho kwaba khona ukwehlukana ngaye phakathi kwexuku.
So there was a sharp division among the people on account of Jesus.
44 Abanye babo bafuna ukumbamba, kodwa kakubanga khona owambeka izandla.
Some of them wanted to arrest him, and yet no one touched him.
45 Khona abancedisi baya kubapristi abakhulu lakubaFarisi; bona basebesithi kubo: Kungani lingamlethanga?
When the officers returned to the Chief Priests and Pharisees, they were asked: “Why have you not brought him?”
46 Abancedisi baphendula bathi: Kakuzange kukhulume umuntu kanje, njengalumuntu.
“No man ever spoke as he speaks!” they answered.
47 AbaFarisi basebebaphendula bathi: Lani seliduhisiwe yini?
“What! Have you been led astray too?” the Pharisees replied.
48 Ukhona yini kubabusi kumbe kubaFarisi okholwe kuye?
“Have any of our leading men believed in him, or any of the Pharisees?
49 Kodwa lelixuku elingawaziyo umlayo liqalekisiwe.
As for these people who do not know the Law — they are cursed!
50 UNikodima, lowo oweza kuye ebusuku, owayengomunye wabo, wathi kubo:
But one of their number, Nicodemus, who before this had been to see Jesus, said to them:
51 Kanti umlayo wakithi uyamgweba umuntu, ngaphandle kokuthi umuzwe kuqala ukwazi akwenzayo?
“Does our Law pass judgment on a man without first giving him a hearing, and finding out what he has been doing?”
52 Baphendula bathi kuye: Kanti lawe ungoweGalili? Hlolisisa ubone ukuthi kakuvukanga umprofethi eGalili.
“Are you also from Galilee?” they retorted. “Search, and you will find that no Prophet is to arise in Galilee!”
53 Ngulowo lalowo wasesuka waya ekhaya.
And every one went home
