Yohana 3
1 Basi kulikuwa na Farisayo ambaye jina lake Nikodemo, mmoja wa wajumbe wa baraza la Wayahudi.
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 Mtu huyu alimwendea Bwana Yesu usiku na akamwambia, “Rabi, tunajua ya kuwa u mwalimu kutoka kwa Mungu, kwa maana hakuna mtu awezaye kutenda ishara hizi zote Mungu asipokuwa 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, “Amini, amini, mtu hawezi kuingia katika ufalme wa Mungu asipozaliwa 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 akasema,” Mtu anawezaje kuzaliwa akiwa mzee? Hawezi kuingia tumboni mwa mama yake mara ya pili na kuzaliwa, je anaweza?”
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 akajibu, “Amini, amini mtu sipozaliwa kwa maji na kwa Roho, hawezi kuingia katika ufalme wa Mungu.
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 Kilichozaliwa kwa mwili ni mwili, na kilichozaliwa kwa Roho ni 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 Usishangae kwa sababu nilikuwambia, 'ni lazima 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 na sauti yake mwaisikia, lakini hamjui utokako wala uendako. Ndivyo ilivyo hali ya kila 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 akajibu, kwa kusema, “Mambo haya yawezekanaje?”
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Yesu akamjibu, “Wewe u mwalimu wa Israeli, hata hauyajui 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 Amini, amini, nakuambia, kile tunachokifahamu twakishuhudia kwa kile tulichokiona. Lakini hampokei 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 Kama nimewambia mambo ya hapa duniani na hamuamini, mtawezaje kuamini kama nikiwambia 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 Maana hakuna aliyepanda juu kutoka mbinguni isipokuwa yeye aliyeshuka, 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 Musa alivyomwinua nyoka jangwani, vivyo hivyo Mwana wa Adamu lazima ainuliwe,
[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, kwamba akamtoa mwanae wa pekee, ili kwamba mtu yeyote amwaminiye asiangamie 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 sababu Mungu hakumtuma mwanae duniani ili auhukumu ulimwengu, bali kwamba ulimwengu uokolewe katika yeye.
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 Amwaminiye Yeye hatahukumiwa. Yeye asiyemwamini tayari ameshahukumiwa kwa sababu hajaliamini 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 sababu ya hukumu, ya kwamba nuru imekuja ulimwenguni, lakini wanadamu wakapenda giza zaidi ya nuru kwa sababu matendo yao yalikuwa 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 kila mtu atendaye mabaya huichukia nuru wala haji nuruni ili matendo yake yasije yakawekwa wazi.
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, yeye atendaye kweli huja kwenye nuru ili matendo yake yaonekane kwamba yametendwa kwa utiifu wa 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 pamoja na wanafunzi walienda katika nchi ya Yudea. Huko alitumia muda pamoja nao na alikuwa akibatiza.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 Sasa Yohana pia alikuwa akibatiza huko Ainea karibu na Salim maana kulikuwa na maji mengi pale. Watu walikuwa wakija kwake na 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 kwa kuwa Yohana alikuwa hajatupwa gerezani.
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Kisha palitokea mabishano kati ya wanafunzi wa Yohana na Myahudi kuhusu sikukuuu za 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 Wakaenda kwa Yohana wakamwambia, “Rabi, yeye uliyekuwa naye ng'ambo ya Mto Yorodani, yeye uliyeshuhudia habari zake, tazama, anabatiza na wote wanaenda wanamfuata.”
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 akajibu mtu hawezi kupokea kitu chochote isipokuwa kama amepewa 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 mwashuhudia kuwa nalisema kuwa, 'mimi sio Kristo', badala yake nilisema, 'nimetumwa mbele yake.'
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 Yeye aliye na bibi arusi ni bwana harusi. Sasa rafiki wa bwana arusi, asimamaye na kusikiliza hufurahia sana kwa sababu ya sauti ya bwana arusi. Hii sasa ni furaha yangu iliyotimilika.
[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 Anapaswa kuzidi, nami napaswa kupungua.
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 atokaye juu, yu juu ya yote. Yeye aliye wa ulimwengu anatoka ulimwenguni na huongea mambo ya ki ulimwengu. Yeye atokaye mbinguni yuko 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 apokeaye 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 Yeye aliye pokea ushuhuda wake amehakikisha kuwa Mungu ni mkweli.
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 Kwa sababu yeye aliyetumwa na Mungu huongea maneno ya Mungu. Kwa kuwa hampi Roho kwa 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 humpenda Mwana na amempa vitu vyote mikononi mwake.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Yeye amwaminiye Mwana anao uzima wa milele, lakini kwa yeye asiye mtii Mwana hatauona uzima, bali ghadhabu ya Mungu hushikamana 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)
