UJohane 1
1 Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, njalo uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.
In the beginning the Word already was. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 Yena lo wayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.
In the beginning he was with God.
3 Zonke izinto zenziwa ngaye, njalo ngaphandle kwakhe kakulalutho lolulodwa olwenziwayo lolo olwenziweyo.
Everything came into being through him; nothing came into being without him.
4 Impilo yayikuye, njalo impilo yayiyikukhanya kwabantu,
In him was life, the life that was the light of everyone.
5 lokukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa ubumnyama kabukwemukelanga.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not extinguished it.
6 Kwavela umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, obizo lakhe linguJohane;
God sent a man named John.
7 yena lo wezela ubufakazi, ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya, ukuze bonke bakholwe ngaye.
He came as a witness to explain about the light so that everyone might believe through him.
8 Yena wayengayisikho ukukhanya, kodwa ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya.
He himself was not the light, but he came to witness to the light.
9 Kwakuyikukhanya okuqotho, okukhanyisa wonke umuntu oza emhlabeni.
The true light was coming into the world to give light to everyone.
10 Wayekhona emhlabeni, njalo umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, kodwa umhlaba kawumazanga.
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world didn't know who he was.
11 Weza kokwakhe, kodwa abakhe kabamemukelanga.
He came to his own people, but they didn't accept him.
12 Kodwa bonke abamemukelayo, wabapha amandla okuthi babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, labo abakholwa ebizweni lakhe;
But to all those who accepted him and trusted in him, he gave the right to become God's children.
13 abazalwa kungeyisikho ngegazi, langentando yenyama, langentando yendoda, kodwa nguNkulunkulu.
These are the children born not in the usual way, not as the result of human desire or a father's decision, but born of God.
14 ULizwi wasesiba yinyama, wahlala phakathi kwethu, njalo sabona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo injengeyozelwe yedwa kaYise, egcwele umusa leqiniso.
The Word became human and lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son, 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 gave his testimony about him, shouting out to the people, “This is the one I was telling you about when I said, ‘The one who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’”
16 Lekugcwaleni kwakhe thina semukele sonke, futhi umusa ngomusa;
We have all been recipients of his generous nature, one gracious gift after another.
17 ngoba umlayo wanikwa ngoMozisi, umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Kristu.
The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 Kakho owake wabona uNkulunkulu; iNdodana ezelwe yodwa, esesifubeni sikaYise, yiyo emvezileyo.
While no one has ever seen God, God the one and only, who is close to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
19 Njalo lobu yibufakazi bukaJohane, mhla amaJuda ethuma abapristi lamaLevi bevela eJerusalema ukuze bambuze ukuthi: Wena ungubani?
This is what John publicly stated when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 Wasevuma, kaphikanga; futhi wavuma wathi: Kangisuye uKristu mina.
John declared plainly and clearly without hesitation, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 Bambuza futhi bathi: Kuyini pho? Wena unguElija yini? Wasesithi: Kangisuye. Wena ungulowomProfethi yini? Wasephendula wathi: Hatshi.
“So then, who are you?” they asked. “Elijah?” “No, I'm not,” he answered. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he replied.
22 Basebesithi kuye: Ungubani? Ukuze sibaphe impendulo abasithumileyo; uthini ngawe?
“Well, who are you, then?” they asked. “We have to 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.
“I am a voice calling in the desert, ‘Make the Lord's way straight!’” he said, using the words of the prophet Isaiah.
24 Lalabo ababethunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi.
The priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees
25 Basebembuza, bathi kuye: Ubhabhathizelani pho, uba wena ungeyisuye uKristu, loElija, lalowomProfethi?
asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you're not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26 UJohane wabaphendula, wathi: Mina ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi; kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi, lina elingamaziyo;
John replied, “I baptize with water, but standing among you is someone you don't know.
27 nguye ozayo emva kwami, ophambi kwami, engingafanele mina ukuthukulula umchilo wenyathela lakhe.
He is coming after me, but I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.”
28 Lezizinto zenzeka eBethabara ngaphetsheya kweJordani, lapho uJohane ayebhabhathiza khona.
This all happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 Kusisa uJohane wabona uJesu esiza kuye, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu, elisusa isono somhlaba.
The next day John saw Jesus approaching him, and said, “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 the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’
31 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa ukuze abonakaliswe kuIsrayeli, ngalokho mina ngizile ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi.
I didn't know myself who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”
32 UJohane wasefakaza, esithi: Ngibonile uMoya esehla ezulwini njengejuba, wahlala phezu kwakhe.
John gave his evidence about him, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon him.
33 Lami bengingamazi; kodwa owangithumayo ukubhabhathiza ngamanzi, yena wathi kimi: Lowo ozabona uMoya esehlela phezu kwakhe ahlale kuye, nguye obhabhathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.
I wouldn't have known him except he who sent me to baptize with water had told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descend to and rest upon, he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 Mina ngibonile, ngafakaza ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.
I saw it happen and I declare that this is the Son of God.”
35 Kusisa futhi uJohane wayemi, lababili kubafundi bakhe;
The next day John was standing there with two of his disciples.
36 wasekhangela uJesu ehambahamba, wathi: Khangelani iWundlu likaNkulunkulu.
He saw Jesus passing by, and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God!”
37 Abafundi ababili bamuzwa ekhuluma, basebemlandela uJesu.
When the two disciples heard what he said they went and followed Jesus.
38 Kwathi uJesu enyemukula ebabona belandela, wathi kubo: Lidingani? Basebesithi kuye: Rabi, (okuyikuthi ngokuphendulelwa, Mfundisi) uhlala ngaphi?
Jesus turned round and saw them following him. “What are you looking for?” he asked them. “Rabbi (which means ‘Teacher’), where are you staying?” they asked in reply.
39 Wathi kubo: Wozani libone. Beza babona lapho ayehlala khona; bahlala laye ngalolosuku; kwakungaba lihola letshumi.
“Come and see,” he told them. So they went with him and saw where he was staying. It was about four p.m., and they spent the rest of the day with him.
40 UAndreya umfowabo kaSimoni Petro wayengomunye wababili ababekuzwe ngoJohane bamlandela.
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of these two disciples who had heard what John said and followed Jesus.
41 Yena wathola kuqala umfowabo uqobo uSimoni, wathi kuye: Simtholile uMesiya, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi, uKristu.
He went at once to find his brother Simon and told him, “We've found the Messiah!” (which means “Christ”).
42 Wasemletha kuJesu. UJesu esemkhangele wathi: Wena unguSimoni indodana kaJona; uzathiwa nguKefasi, okuphendulelwa ngokuthi uPetro.
He took him to Jesus. Looking directly at Simon, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of John. But now you will be called Cephas,” (which means “Peter”).
43 Kusisa uJesu wayefuna ukusuka aye eGalili, wathola uFiliphu, wathi kuye: Ngilandela.
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip there, and told him, “Follow me.”
44 UFiliphu-ke wayengoweBhethisayida, emzini wakibo kaAndreya loPetro.
Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town that Andrew and Peter came from.
45 UFiliphu wathola uNathaniyeli, wathi kuye: Simtholile lowo abhala ngaye uMozisi emlayweni labaprofethi, uJesu weNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We've found the one that Moses wrote about in the law and that the prophets did too—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 UNathaniyeli wasesithi kuye: Kambe kungavela okuhle eNazaretha? UFiliphu wathi kuye: Woza ubone.
“From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael wondered. “Just come and see,” Philip replied.
47 UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli esiza kuye, wathi ngaye: Khangelani umIsrayeli uqobo, okungekho nkohliso kuye.
As Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said about him, “Look, here's a true Israelite! There's nothing false about him.”
48 UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: Ungazela ngaphi? UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: UFiliphu engakakubizi, ungaphansi komkhiwa, ngakubona.
“How do you know who I am?” Nathanael asked. “I saw you there under the fig tree, before Philip called you,” Jesus replied.
49 UNathaniyeli waphendula wathi kuye: Rabi, wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, wena uyiNkosi kaIsrayeli.
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the king of Israel!” Nathaniel exclaimed.
50 UJesu waphendula wathi kuye: Uyakholwa ngoba ngithe kuwe, bengikubona ungaphansi komkhiwa. Uzabona izinto ezinkulu kulalezi.
“You believe this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?” Jesus replied. “You'll get to see much more than that!”
51 Wasesithi kuye: Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Kusukela khathesi lizabona izulu livulekile, lengilosi zikaNkulunkulu zisenyuka zisehla phezu kweNdodana yomuntu.
Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open, and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of man.”
