John 1
1 From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.
Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.
2 This Word was from the first in relation with God.
WayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.
3 All things came into existence through him, and without him nothing was.
Izinto zonke zenziwa ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe kube akukho okwenziwayo.
4 What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
Kwakukhona ukuphila kuye, lokho kuphila kwakuyikukhanya kwabantu.
5 And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark.
Ukukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa umnyama awukakuzwisisi.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Kwafika umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, ibizo lakhe wayenguJohane.
7 He came for witness, to give witness about the light, so that all men might have faith through him.
Weza njengomfakazi ezoqinisa mayelana lalokho kukhanya ukuze kuthi ngaye bonke abantu bakholwe.
8 He himself was not the light: he was sent to give witness about the light.
Yena qobo lwakhe wayengesi lokho kukhanya; weza nje njengomfakazi wokukhanya lokho.
9 The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world.
Ukukhanya okuliqiniso okunika ukukhanya emuntwini wonke kwakusiza emhlabeni.
10 He was in the world, the world which came into being through him, but the world had no knowledge of him.
Wayesemhlabeni, kodwa lanxa umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, umhlaba kawumazanga.
11 He came to the things which were his and his people did not take him to their hearts.
Weza kulokho okwakungokwakhe, kodwa khona kakumemukelanga.
12 To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God — that is, to those who had faith in his name:
Ikanti kulabo bonke abamamukelayo, kulabo abakholwayo ebizweni lakhe, wabapha ilungelo lokuba ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu,
13 Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire.
abantwana abangazalwanga ngokwemvelo, kumbe ngokukhetha komuntu, loba ngokufuna kwendoda kodwa bezelwe nguNkulunkulu.
14 And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory — such glory as is given to an only son by his father — saw it to be true and full of grace.
ULizwi waba yinyama, wahlala phakathi kwethu. Siyibonile inkazimulo yakhe; inkazimulo yeNdodana eyiyo yodwa, eyavela kuYise, igcwele umusa leqiniso.
15 John gave witness about him, crying, This is he of whom I said, He who is coming after me is put over me because he was in existence before me.
UJohane wafakaza ngayo. Wamemeza esithi, “Lo nguye engangikhuluma ngaye ngisithi, ‘Lowo oza ngemva kwami usengedlule ngoba wayevele ephambi kwami.’”
16 From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace.
Ngenxa yokujula komusa wakhe sonke sesamukele umusa emuseni esasivele siwuphiwe.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and the true way of life are ours through Jesus Christ.
Ngoba umthetho walethwa ngoMosi; umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Khristu.
18 No man has seen God at any time; the only Son, who is on the breast of the Father, he has made clear what God is.
Kakho osewake wambona uNkulunkulu, kodwa iNdodana eyiyo yodwa, yona enguNkulunkulu njalo eseceleni eduze kukaYise, isimenze waziwa.
19 And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him with the question, Who are you?
Lobu yibo ubufakazi bukaJohane lapho abakhokheli bamaJuda aseJerusalema abathuma khona abaphristi labaLevi ukuyambuza ukuthi wayengubani.
20 He said quite openly and straightforwardly, I am not the Christ.
Kehlulekanga ukuzichaza, kodwa wazichaza ekhululekile wathi, “Kangisuye uKhristu.”
21 And they said to him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And his answer was, I am not.
Bambuza bathi, “Pho ungubani na? Ungu-Elija yini?” Wathi, “Kangisuye.” “Ungumphrofethi na?” Waphendula wathi, “Hatshi.”
22 So they said to him, Who are you then? We have to give some answer to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?
Bacina ngokuthi, “Ungubani? Siphe impendulo esizayisa kulabo abasithumileyo. Uzibiza ngokuthi ungubani na?”
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the waste land, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.
UJohane wabaphendula ngamazwi ka-Isaya umphrofethi wathi, “Ngiyilizwi lalowo omemezayo enkangala lisithi, ‘Lungiselani iNkosi indlela iqonde.’”
24 Those who had been sent came from the Pharisees.
Kwasekusithi abaFarisi ababethunyiwe
25 And they put this question to him, saying, Why then are you giving baptism if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet?
bambuza bathi, “Kungani pho ubhaphathiza nxa ungasuye uKhristu, kumbe u-Elija loba umphrofethi na?”
26 John's answer was: I give baptism with water; but there is one among you of whom you have no knowledge;
UJohane waphendula wathi, “Mina ngibhaphathiza ngamanzi, kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi elingamaziyo.
27 It is he who is coming after me; I am not good enough to undo his shoes.
Nguye lowo ozayo ngemva kwami, mina engingafanelanga ukuthukulula imichilo yamanyathela akhe.”
28 These things took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was giving baptism.
Konke lokhu kwenzeka eBhethani ngaphetsheya kweJodani lapho uJohane ayebhaphathiza khona.
29 The day after, John sees Jesus coming to him and says, See, here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wabona uJesu esiza kuye wathi, “Khangelani, nanti iWundlu likaNkulunkulu elisusa isono somhlaba!
30 This is he of whom I said, One is coming after me who is put over me because he was in existence before me.
Nguye lo engangimutsho ngize ngithi, ‘Umuntu ozayo ngemva kwami usengedlule ngoba wayevele ephambi kwami.’
31 I myself had no knowledge of him, but I came giving baptism with water so that he might be seen openly by Israel.
Mina ngokwami bengingamazi, kodwa okwenze ngeza ngibhaphathiza ngamanzi kwakuyikwenzela ukuthi abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli.”
32 And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him.
UJohane waseletha lobubufakazi: “Ngabona uMoya esehla evela ezulwini enjengejuba wahlala phezu kwakhe.
33 I had no knowledge who he was, but he who sent me to give baptism with water said to me, The one on whom you see the Spirit coming down and resting, it is he who gives baptism with the Holy Spirit.
Lami uqobo lwami ngangingamazi, kodwa lowo owangithumayo ukubhaphathiza ngamanzi wathi, ‘Lowomuntu ozabona uMoya usehla uhlala kuye nguye kanye ozabhaphathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.’
34 This I saw myself and my witness is that he is the Son of God.
Sengibonile yikho sengifakaza ukuthi lo ungoKhethiweyo kaNkulunkulu.”
35 The day after, John was there again with two of his disciples;
Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wayekhonapho, elabafundi bakhe ababili.
36 And looking at Jesus while he was walking he said, See, there is the Lamb of God!
Wathi ebona uJesu esedlula lapho wathi, “Khangelani, nanti iWundlu likaNkulunkulu!”
37 Hearing what he said, the two disciples went after Jesus.
Abafundi ababili labo bathi bekuzwa lokhu basebelandela uJesu.
38 And Jesus, turning round, saw them coming after him and said to them, What are you looking for? They said to him, Rabbi (which is to say, Master), where are you living?
UJesu wathi enyemukula wababona bemlandela, wababuza wathi, “Lifunani na?” Bathi, “Rabi” (okutsho ukuthi “Mfundisi”), “uhlala ngaphi?”
39 He said to them, Come and see. They went with him then and saw where he was living; and they were with him all that day: it was then about the tenth hour of the day.
Waphendula wathi, “Wozani, lizabona.” Ngakho bahamba bayabona lapho ayehlala khona, batshona laye mhlalokho. Kwakungaba lihola letshumi.
40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two men who, hearing what John said, went after Jesus.
U-Andreya, umfowabo kaSimoni Phethro wayengomunye wababili abezwayo okwakukhulunywa nguJohane njalo abayibo abalandela uJesu.
41 Early in the morning he came across his brother and said to him, We have made discovery! It is the Messiah! (which is to say, the Christ).
Into yokuqala ayenzayo u-Andreya yikudinga umfowabo uSimoni wamtshela wathi, “Sesimfumene uMesiya” (okutsho uKhristu).
42 And he took him to Jesus. Looking at him fixedly Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; your name will be Cephas (which is to say, Peter).
Wasemletha kuJesu. UJesu wamkhangela wathi, “UnguSimoni indodana kaJohane. Usuzathiwa unguKhefasi” (okuchasiswa ngokuthi, nguPhethro).
43 The day after this, Jesus had a desire to go into Galilee. He came across Philip and said to him, Come and be my disciple.
Ngelanga elilandelayo uJesu wafuna ukusuka aye eGalile. Wabona uFiliphu wathi kuye, “Ngilandela.”
44 Now Philip's town was Beth-saida, where Andrew and Peter came from.
UFiliphu wayengowedolobheni lase-Bhethisayida, njengo-Andreya loPhethro.
45 Philip came across Nathanael and said to him, We have made a discovery! It is he of whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets were writing, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
UFiliphu wadinga uNathaneli wamtshela wathi, “Sesimfumene lowo uMosi aloba ngaye eMthethweni, njalo abaphrofethi labo abaloba ngaye, uJesu waseNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.”
46 Nazareth! said Nathanael, Is it possible for any good to come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see.
UNathaneli wabuza wathi, “ENazaretha! Kulolutho oluhle olungavela khona na?” UFiliphu wathi, “Woza uzebona.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said of him, See, here is a true son of Israel in whom there is nothing false.
Kwathi uJesu ebona uNathaneli eqhamuka laphaya wathi ngaye, “Nangu umʼIsrayeli oqotho, okungekho nkohliso kuye.”
48 Nathanael said to him, Where did you get knowledge of me? In answer Jesus said, Before Philip was talking with you, while you were still under the fig-tree, I saw you.
UNathaneli wambuza wathi, “Ungazela ngaphi na?” UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngikubonile usahlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa uFiliphu engakakubizi.”
49 Nathanael said to him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God, you are King of Israel!
UNathaneli wasefakaza wathi, “Rabi, uyindodana kaNkulunkulu; uyiNkosi ka-Israyeli.”
50 In answer Jesus said to him, You have faith because I said to you, I saw you under the fig-tree. You will see greater things than these.
UJesu wathi, “Ukholwa ngoba ngithe ngikubone ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa. Usazobona izinto ezinkulu kulalokho.”
51 And he said to him, Truly I say to you all, You will see heaven opening and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of man.
Waphinda wengeza wathi, “Ngikutshela iqiniso, uzabona izulu livuleka, lezingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zikhwela zisehlela eNdodaneni yoMuntu.”
