Yohana 3
1 Basi palikuwa na mtu mmoja Farisayo, jina lake Nikodemo, mmoja wa Baraza la Wayahudi lililotawala.
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 Huyu alimjia Yesu usiku akamwambia, “Rabi, tunajua kuwa wewe ni mwalimu uliyetumwa na Mungu, kwa maana hakuna mtu awezaye kufanya miujiza hii uifanyayo wewe, kama Mungu hayuko pamoja naye.”
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 Yesu akamjibu, “Amin, amin nakuambia, hakuna mtu anayeweza kuuona Ufalme wa Mungu kama hajazaliwa mara ya pili.”
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 Nikodemo akauliza, “Awezaje mtu kuzaliwa wakati akiwa mzee? Hakika hawezi kuingia mara ya pili kwenye tumbo la mama yake ili azaliwe!”
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 Yesu akamwambia, “Amin, amin nakuambia, hakuna mtu yeyote anayeweza kuingia Ufalme wa Mungu kama hajazaliwa kwa maji na kwa Roho.
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 Mwili huzaa mwili, lakini Roho huzaa roho.
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 Kwa hiyo usishangae ninapokuambia huna budi ‘kuzaliwa mara ya pili.’
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 Upepo huvuma popote upendapo. Mvumo wake unausikia lakini huwezi ukafahamu utokako wala uendako. Ndivyo ilivyo kwa kila mtu aliyezaliwa na Roho.”
[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 Nikodemo akamuuliza, “Mambo haya yanawezekanaje?”
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Yesu akamwambia, “Wewe ni mwalimu mashuhuri wa Waisraeli, nawe huelewi mambo haya?
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 Amin, amin ninakuambia, sisi tunazungumza lile tunalolijua na tunashuhudia lile tuliloliona. Lakini ninyi watu hamkubali ushuhuda wetu.
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 Nimewaambia mambo ya duniani, nanyi hamkuniamini, mtaniaminije basi nitakapowaambia mambo ya mbinguni?
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 mtu yeyote aliyekwenda mbinguni isipokuwa yeye aliyeshuka kutoka mbinguni, yaani, Mwana wa Adamu.
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 Kama vile Mose alivyomwinua yule nyoka kule jangwani, vivyo hivyo Mwana wa Adamu hana budi kuinuliwa juu.
[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].
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 “Kwa maana jinsi hii Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu hata akamtoa Mwanawe wa pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele. (aiōnios g166)
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 g166)
17 Kwa maana Mungu hakumtuma Mwanawe kuuhukumu ulimwengu, bali kupitia kwake ulimwengu upate kuokolewa.
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 Yeyote amwaminiye hahukumiwi, lakini asiyeamini amekwisha kuhukumiwa, kwa sababu hakuliamini jina la Mwana pekee wa Mungu.
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 Hii ndiyo hukumu kwamba: Nuru imekuja ulimwenguni, nao watu wakapenda giza kuliko nuru kwa sababu matendo yao ni maovu.
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 Kwa kuwa kila atendaye maovu huchukia nuru, wala haji kwenye nuru ili matendo yake maovu yasifichuliwe.
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 Lakini yule aishiye kwa ukweli huja kwenye nuru, ili ionekane wazi kwamba matendo yake yametendeka katika Mungu.”
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 Baada ya haya, Yesu na wanafunzi wake walikwenda katika nchi ya Uyahudi, nao wakakaa huko kwa muda na kubatiza.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 Yohana naye alikuwa akibatiza huko Ainoni karibu na Salimu kwa sababu huko kulikuwa na maji tele. Watu wazima wakamjia huko ili kubatizwa.
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 (Hii ilikuwa kabla Yohana hajatiwa gerezani).
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Mashindano yakazuka kati ya baadhi ya wanafunzi wa Yohana na Myahudi mmoja kuhusu suala la desturi ya kunawa kwa utakaso.
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 Wakamwendea Yohana wakamwambia, “Rabi, yule mtu aliyekuwa pamoja nawe ngʼambo ya Mto Yordani, yule uliyeshuhudia habari zake, sasa anabatiza na kila mtu anamwendea!”
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 Yohana akawajibu, “Hakuna mtu yeyote awezaye kupata kitu chochote isipokuwa kile tu alichopewa kutoka mbinguni.
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 Ninyi wenyewe ni mashahidi wangu kwamba nilisema, ‘Mimi si Kristo, ila nimetumwa nimtangulie.’
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 Bibi arusi ni wa bwana arusi. Lakini rafiki yake bwana arusi anayesimama karibu naye na kusikiliza kutoka kwake, hufurahi sana aisikiapo sauti ya bwana arusi. Kwa sababu hii furaha yangu imekamilika.
[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 Yeye hana budi kuwa mkuu zaidi na mimi nizidi kuwa mdogo.”
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 “Yeye ajaye kutoka juu yu juu ya yote, yeye aliye wa duniani ni wa dunia, naye huzungumza mambo ya duniani. Yeye aliyekuja kutoka mbinguni, yu juu ya yote.
[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 Yeye hushuhudia yale aliyoyaona na kuyasikia, lakini hakuna yeyote anayekubali ushuhuda wake.
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 Lakini yeyote anayekubali huo ushuhuda anathibitisha kwamba, Mungu ni kweli.
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 Yeye aliyetumwa na Mungu husema maneno ya Mungu, kwa kuwa Mungu humtoa Roho pasipo kipimo.
[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 anampenda Mwana, naye ametia vitu vyote mikononi mwake.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Yeyote anayemwamini Mwana ana uzima wa milele, lakini yeye asiyemwamini Mwana hatauona uzima, bali ghadhabu ya Mungu itakuwa juu yake.” (aiōnios g166)
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 g166)
