UJohane 1
1 Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, njalo uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 Yena lo wayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.
He Himself existed in the beginning with God.
3 Zonke izinto zenziwa ngaye, njalo ngaphandle kwakhe kakulalutho lolulodwa olwenziwayo lolo olwenziweyo.
All things came to be by Him; that is, apart from Him not even one thing that has come into being came to be.
4 Impilo yayikuye, njalo impilo yayiyikukhanya kwabantu,
In Him was life, and the Life was the Light of mankind.
5 lokukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa ubumnyama kabukwemukelanga.
Now the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 Kwavela umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, obizo lakhe linguJohane;
There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
7 yena lo wezela ubufakazi, ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya, ukuze bonke bakholwe ngaye.
This man came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 Yena wayengayisikho ukukhanya, kodwa ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya.
He himself was not the Light but was to testify about the Light—
9 Kwakuyikukhanya okuqotho, okukhanyisa wonke umuntu oza emhlabeni.
the true Light which illumines everyone who comes into the world.
10 Wayekhona emhlabeni, njalo umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, kodwa umhlaba kawumazanga.
He was in the world, the world that came into being by Him, yet the world did not know Him.
11 Weza kokwakhe, kodwa abakhe kabamemukelanga.
He came to His own things, yet His own people did not receive Him.
12 Kodwa bonke abamemukelayo, wabapha amandla okuthi babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, labo abakholwa ebizweni lakhe;
But, as many as did receive Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe into His name:
13 abazalwa kungeyisikho ngegazi, langentando yenyama, langentando yendoda, kodwa nguNkulunkulu.
who were begotten, not by blood, nor by the desire of the flesh, nor by the will of a man, but by God.
14 ULizwi wasesiba yinyama, wahlala phakathi kwethu, njalo sabona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo injengeyozelwe yedwa kaYise, egcwele umusa leqiniso.
So the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we observed His glory, glory of an Only-begotten, from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 UJohane wafakaza ngaye, wamemeza wathi: Nguye lo ebengisitsho ngaye ukuthi: Lowo ozayo emva kwami uphambi kwami; ngoba wayekhona kuqala kulami.
John testified about Him and called out saying: “This is He of whom I said, ‘The One coming after me is now ahead of me, because He existed before I did.’”
16 Lekugcwaleni kwakhe thina semukele sonke, futhi umusa ngomusa;
Now we have all received from His fullness, yes, grace upon grace.
17 ngoba umlayo wanikwa ngoMozisi, umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Kristu.
Because the Law was given through Moses; the Grace and the Truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 Kakho owake wabona uNkulunkulu; iNdodana ezelwe yodwa, esesifubeni sikaYise, yiyo emvezileyo.
No one has ever seen God. The Only-begotten Son, who exists in the bosom of the Father, He has interpreted Him.
19 Njalo lobu yibufakazi bukaJohane, mhla amaJuda ethuma abapristi lamaLevi bevela eJerusalema ukuze bambuze ukuthi: Wena ungubani?
Now this is John's testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 Wasevuma, kaphikanga; futhi wavuma wathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina.
He confessed, he did not deny but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 Bambuza futhi bathi: Kuyini pho? Wena unguElija yini? Wasesithi: Kangisuye. Wena ungulowomProfethi yini? Wasephendula wathi: Hatshi.
So they asked him, “What then, are you Elijah?” And he says, “I am not.” “Are you ‘the Prophet’?” “No,” he answered.
22 Basebesithi kuye: Ungubani? Ukuze sibaphe impendulo abasithumileyo; uthini ngawe?
So they said to him: “Who are you?—so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 Wathi: Mina ngiyilizwi lomemezayo enkangala: Lungisani indlela yeNkosi, njengoba uIsaya umprofethi watsho.
He said, “I am ‘the voice of one calling out: “Make the Lord's road straight in the wilderness,”’ just as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Lalabo ababethunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi.
Now those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
25 Basebembuza, bathi kuye: Ubhabhathizelani pho, uba wena ungeyisuye uKristu, loElija, lalowomProfethi?
So they asked him saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor ‘the Prophet’?”
26 UJohane wabaphendula, wathi: Mina ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi, lina elingamaziyo;
John answered them saying: “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 the One coming after me who is now ahead of me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
28 Lezizinto zenzeka eBethabara ngaphetsheya kweJordani, lapho uJohane ayebhabhathiza khona.
These things happened in Bithabara, 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 sees Jesus coming toward him and says: “Look! 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.
This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is now ahead of me, because He existed before I did.’
31 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa ukuze abonakaliswe kuIsrayeli, ngalokho mina ngizile ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi.
I did not know Him; but so that He should be revealed to Israel, that is why I came baptizing with water.”
32 UJohane wasefakaza, esithi: Ngibonile uMoya esehla ezulwini njengejuba, wahlala phezu kwakhe.
And John testified saying: “I observed the Spirit coming down like a dove out of heaven, and He rested upon Him.
33 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa owangithumayo ukubhabhathiza ngamanzi, yena wathi kimi: Lowo ozabona uMoya esehlela phezu kwakhe ahlale kuye, nguye obhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.
Now I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water, He said to me, ‘The One upon whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting—this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 Mina ngibonile, ngafakaza ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
So I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
35 Kusisa futhi uJohane wayemi, lababili kubafundi bakhe;
Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples.
36 wasekhangela uJesu ehambahamba, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu.
And seeing Jesus walking by, he says, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 Abafundi ababili bamuzwa ekhuluma, basebemlandela uJesu.
The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38 Kwathi uJesu enyemukula ebabona belandela, wathi kubo: Lidingani? Basebesithi kuye: Rabi, (okuyikuthi ngokuphendulelwa, Mfundisi) uhlala ngaphi?
So turning and observing them following Jesus says to them, “What do you want?” So they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which translated means ‘Teacher’), “where are You staying?”
39 Wathi kubo: Wozani libone. Beza babona lapho ayehlala khona; bahlala laye ngalolosuku; kwakungaba lihola letshumi.
He says to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where He was staying, and stayed with Him that day—it was about the tenth hour.
40 UAndreya umfowabo kaSimoni Petro wayengomunye wababili ababekuzwe ngoJohane bamlandela.
One of the two who heard John and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 Yena wathola kuqala umfowabo uqobo uSimoni, wathi kuye: Simtholile uMesiya, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi, uKristu.
He first finds his own brother Simon and says to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated ‘Christ’).
42 Wasemletha kuJesu. UJesu esemkhangele wathi: Wena unguSimoni indodana kaJona; uzathiwa nguKefasi, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi uPetro.
And he led him to Jesus. Looking at him Jesus said, “You are Simon, the son of Jonah; you will be called Cephas” (which is translated ‘Stone’).
43 Kusisa uJesu wayefuna ukusuka aye eGalili, wathola uFiliphu, wathi kuye: Ngilandela.
The next day He decided to go to Galilee, so He finds Philip and says to him, “Follow me.”
44 UFiliphu-ke wayengoweBhethisayida, emzini wakibo kaAndreya loPetro.
(Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.)
45 UFiliphu wathola uNathaniyeli, wathi kuye: Simtholile lowo abhala ngaye uMozisi emlayweni labaprofethi, uJesu weNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.
Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, “We have found the One of whom Moses in the Law—and also the prophets—wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Natsareth.”
46 UNathaniyeli wasesithi kuye: Kambe kungavela okuhle eNazaretha? UFiliphu wathi kuye: Woza ubone.
So Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Natsareth?” Philip says to him, “Come and see!”
47 UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli esiza kuye, wathi ngaye: Khangelani umIsrayeli uqobo, okungekho nkohliso kuye.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and says about him, “There, a genuine Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”
48 UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: Ungazela ngaphi? UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: UFiliphu engakakubizi, ungaphansi komkhiwa, ngakubona.
Nathanael says to Him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 UNathaniyeli waphendula wathi kuye: Rabi, wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wena uyiNkosi kaIsrayeli.
In answer Nathanael says to Him: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Uyakholwa ngoba ngithe kuwe, bengikubona ungaphansi komkhiwa. Uzabona izinto ezinkulu kulalezi.
Jesus answered and said to him: “You believe because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater than these.”
51 Wasesithi kuye: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Kusukela khathesi lizabona izulu livulekile, lengilosi zikaNkulunkulu zisenyuka zisehla phezu kweNdodana yomuntu.
And He says to him, “I tell you (pl) most assuredly, later on you will see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of the Man.”
