< Johani 3 >
1 Zvino kwakanga kuno mumwe murume weboka ravaFarisi ainzi Nikodhimasi, nhengo yedare ravaJudha raitonga.
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 Akauya kuna Jesu usiku akati, “Rabhi, tinoziva kuti muri mudzidzisi akabva kuna Mwari. Nokuti hakuna munhu angagona kuita zviratidzo zvamunoita kana Mwari asinaye.”
He went to see Jesus at night, [to talk to him about God’s kingdom]. He said to Jesus, “Teacher, [we believe that] you are a teacher who has come from God. [We believe this because] we know that someone could perform the miracles you are doing only if God were helping him.”
3 Jesu akapindura akati, “Ndinokuudza chokwadi, hakuna munhu angaona umambo hwaMwari kana asina kuberekwa patsva.”
Jesus replied to him, “Listen to this carefully: Unless people are born again and [have a new life from God], they cannot even see the place where God rules [MET]!”
4 Nikodhimasi akabvunza akati, “Munhu angaberekwa seiko iye ava mukuru? Zvirokwazvo haangagoni kupinda mudumbu ramai vake kechipiri kuti aberekwe patsva!”
Then Nicodemus said to him, “(No one can be born when he is old!/How can anyone be born when he is old?) [RHQ] (There is no way he can enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time!/How can he enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time?) [RHQ]”
5 Jesu akapindura akati, “Ndinokuudza chokwadi, hakuna munhu angapinda muumambo hwaMwari kana asina kuberekwa nemvura uye noMweya.
Jesus answered, “Note this: Being born naturally is not [enough]; people need to also be born [spiritually] by God’s Spirit. If that does not happen, they cannot experience God ruling [MET] [their lives].
6 Nyama inobereka nyama, asi Mweya anobereka Mweya.
Humans give birth to humans. But those who are born [again] as a result of what [God’s] Spirit [does receive a new] spiritual [nature from God].
7 Haufaniri kushamiswa nezvandareva ndichiti, ‘Unofanira kuberekwa patsva.’
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 Mhepo inovhuvhuta ichienda kwainoda. Unonzwa inzwi rayo, asi haugoni kuziva kwainobva kana kwainoenda. Ndizvo zvakaitawo vose vakaberekwa noMweya.”
[Let me illustrate]: The wind blows wherever it wants to blow. You hear its sound, but you do not know where the wind comes from or where it is going. Similarly, those [who do not know God cannot understand/control/predict] how people are born again as a result of what God’s spirit [does].”
9 Nikodhimasi akati, “Zvingaitika seiko izvi?”
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Jesu akati, “Iwe uri mudzidzisi wavaIsraeri, asi haunzwisisi zvinhu izvi?
Jesus replied to him, “You [(sg)] are a [well-known] teacher among [us] Israelite people, so (I am surprised that you do not understand these things!/how is it that you do not understand these things?) [RHQ]
11 Ndinokuudza chokwadi, tinotaura zvatinoziva, uye tinopupura zvatakaona, asi hazvo, imi vanhu hamutongogamuchiri uchapupu hwedu.
Listen to this carefully: (My disciples and I/I) tell you [(pl)] about the things that my disciples and I have seen and know [are true], but you [(pl)] do not admit that what my disciples and I are saying [is true].
12 Ndataura kwauri pamusoro pezvinhu zvapanyika uye hautendi; zvino ungatenda sei kana ndikataura pamusoro pezvinhu zvokudenga?
I have told you about the things [that happen here] on earth that are true, but you [(pl)] do not believe me. So if I tell you [(sg)] about things [that happen] in heaven, (you certainly will not believe me!/how will you believe me?) [RHQ]
13 Hakuna munhu akamboenda kudenga kunze kwaiye akabva kudenga, iye Mwanakomana woMunhu.
I am the only one who has gone up to heaven; no one else has gone up there. I am also the one who came down from heaven. [So I know what happens there].
14 Mozisi sezvaakasimudza nyoka murenje, saizvozvo Mwanakomana woMunhu anofanira kusimudzwawo,
[Long ago when the Israelite people rebelled against God] in the desolate area, [God sent poisonous snakes to bite them]. But when Moses lifted up [on a pole] the [model of a] poisonous snake, [everyone who looked at that model was healed from their snake bites]. Similarly, [even though I] am the one who came from heaven, [some day people] will lift me up [on a cross to kill me].
15 kuti ani naani anotenda kwaari ave noupenyu husingaperi. (aiōnios )
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios )
16 “Nokuti Mwari akada nyika nokudaro, kuti akapa Mwanakomana wake mumwe oga, kuti ani naani anotenda kwaari arege kufa asi ave noupenyu husingaperi. (aiōnios )
God loved us people [MTY] in the world so much that he gave his only Son [as a sacrifice for us], in order that everyone who believes in him would not be separated from God forever. Instead, they would have eternal life. (aiōnios )
17 Nokuti Mwari haana kutuma Mwanakomana wake panyika kuti atonge nyika, asi kuti nyika iponeswe kubudikidza naye.
When God sent his Son into the world, his purpose was not to punish the [people in] [MTY] the world for their sins. Instead, he sent him in order that they might be saved by him {he might save them} [from being] ([guilty/punished]) [for their sins].
18 Ani naani anotenda kwaari haatongwi, asi ani naani asingatendi atotongwa nokuti haana kutenda muzita roMwanakomana mumwe oga waMwari.
Everyone who trusts in his Son, [God says that they] will not be punished {that he will not punish them}. But God has already [said that] everyone who does not trust in his Son will be punished {that he will punish everyone who does not trust in his Son}, because they have not trusted in what his only Son [has done for them].
19 Kutongwa ndokuku: Chiedza chakasvika munyika, asi vanhu vakada rima panzvimbo yechiedza nokuti mabasa avo akanga akaipa.
The [one who was like a] light [MET] [to reveal God’s truth to us] came into the world. But people loved doing what was [evil, like] darkness [MET] [is evil], instead of loving the [one who was like a] light. That is the reason [God will] judge people [and condemn them].
20 Mumwe nomumwe anoita zvakaipa anovenga chiedza, uye haapindi muchiedza nokuti anotya kuti mabasa ake angaiswa pachena.
Everyone who does what is evil hates the [one who is like a] light, and they will not come to the [one who is like a] light, because it would be shown {[the one who is like a light] would show} that their deeds [are evil, and he would rebuke them].
21 Asi ani naani anorarama muchokwadi anouya muchiedza, kuitira kuti zvaakaita zvionekwe pachena kuti zvakaitwa kubudikidza naMwari.”
But those who live according to [God’s] truth come to the [one who is like a] light, in order that it may be seen clearly {that people may see clearly} that the things they have done, they did them because [they have depended] on God.
22 Shure kwaizvozvo, Jesu navadzidzi vake vakabuda vakaenda kunyika yeJudhea, uko kwaakandogara navo kwechinguva, uye akabhabhatidza.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 Zvino Johaniwo aibhabhatidza paAenoni pedyo neSarimu nokuti pakanga pane mvura zhinji, uye vanhu vakanga vachiramba vachiuya kuti vazobhabhatidzwa.
John [the Baptizer] was also baptizing people. He was doing that at Aenon [village] near Salim [town in Samaria district], because there were many springs in that area. [Many] people kept coming [to John] and were being baptized {he was baptizing them}.
24 (Panguva iyi, Johani akanga asati aiswa mutorongo.)
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Nharo dzakamuka pakati pavamwe vadzidzi vaJohani nomumwe muJudha pamusoro penyaya dzokuzvinatsa nokushamba.
Then some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew started arguing about the Jewish rituals of washing things [to make them acceptable to God].
26 Vakauya kuna Johani vakati kwaari, “Rabhi, uya murume wamakanga muinaye mhiri kwaJorodhani, iye wamakapupura nezvake, onai, ari kubhabhatidza, uye vanhu vose vari kuenda kwaari.”
Then those disciples went to John and said to him, “Teacher, [do you remember] the man who was with you when you were baptizing people on the other side of the Jordan River? He is the one you were telling us about. Well, now he is baptizing people, and many people are going to him [instead of coming to us]!”
27 Johani akapindura achiti, “Munhu anongogamuchira chete zvaanenge apiwa zvichibva kudenga.
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 Imi pachenyu mungandipupurira kuti ndakati, ‘Ini handisini Kristu, asi ndakatumwa mberi kwake.’
You yourselves can verify what I said. I told you that I am not (the Messiah/God’s promised king). Instead, I [told you that] I was sent {that [God] sent me} to prepare the way for him.
29 Mwenga ndowechikomba. Shamwari inoshandira chikomba inomira ichimunzwa uye inozara nomufaro painonzwa inzwi rechikomba. Mufaro uyo ndowangu, uye iye zvino wakwana.
[Let me illustrate] [MET]: [He is like a] ([bridegroom/man who is being married]), [and I am like his friend]. The friend of the bridegroom stands there and waits [for him to come]. That friend is very happy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice [when he arrives]. Similarly, I am very happy [about what you have told me].
30 Anofanira kuva mukuru; ini ndinofanira kudukupiswa.
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 “Uyo anobva kumusoro ndiye ari pamusoro pavose; uyo anobva panyika ndowenyika, uye anotaura somunhu anobva panyika. Uyo anobva kudenga ndiye ari pamusoro pavose.
[Jesus] came from heaven. He is more important than anyone else. Those who are born from [parents here] on earth [MTY] are just humans, and they speak about things [that happen here] on the earth. But since Jesus came from heaven, his [words are] more important than anyone else’s.
32 Iye anopupura zvaakaona nezvaakanzwa, asi hakuna munhu anogamuchira uchapupu hwake.
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 Munhu anohugamuchira, anopupura kuti Mwari ndowechokwadi.
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 Nokuti uyo akatumwa naMwari anotaura mashoko aMwari, nokuti Mwari anopa Mweya asingayeri.
[We know it is true] because [Jesus], the one God sent, speaks the message of God. [That is also true] because God causes his Spirit to live [in Jesus] to completely [direct everything he says and does].
35 Baba vanoda Mwanakomana uye vakaisa zvose mumaoko ake.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Ani naani anotenda muMwanakomana ano upenyu husingaperi, asi ani naani anoramba Mwanakomana haangaoni upenyu, nokuti kutsamwa kwaMwari kunogara pamusoro pake.” (aiōnios )
Those who trust in [God’s] Son have eternal life. But those who reject God’s Son will never have [eternal] life. Instead, God is angry with them [and he will surely punish them]. (aiōnios )