John 3
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Kwakulendoda engumFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodimasi, ililunga lomphakathi wamaJuda abusayo.
2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
Yaya kuJesu ebusuku yathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngoba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena nxa uNkulunkulu engelaye.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi kini, akakho ozawubona umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba azalwe kutsha.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
UNikhodimasi wathi, “Kanti umuntu angazalwa kanjani yena esemdala na? Ngeqiniso, angazake angene ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina ukuze azalwe!”
5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, angeke awungene umbuso kaNkulunkulu.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Inyama izala inyama, kodwa uMoya uzala umoya.
7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’
Ungamangaliswa yikuthi ngithi, ‘Kumele lizalwe kutsha.’
8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Umoya uphephethela loba kungaphi lapho othanda khona. Ungakuzwa ukuvunguza kwawo, kodwa ungeke utsho ukuthi uvela ngaphi loba ukuthi uya ngaphi. Ngakho kunjalo emuntwini wonke ozelwe ngoMoya.”
9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”
UNikhodimasi wabuza wathi, “Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?
UJesu wathi, “Ungumfundisi wako-Israyeli, pho kungani ungazwisisi izinto lezi na?
11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.
Ngiqinisile ngithi sikhuluma ngesikwaziyo njalo sifakaza ngesikubonileyo, kodwa lina bantu kalibamukeli ubufakazi bethu.
12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
Ngikhulume kini ngezinto zalapha emhlabeni, kodwa kalikholwa; pho lizakholwa kanjani nxa ngingakhuluma ngokwasezulwini?
13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
Kakho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu.
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
NjengoMosi owaphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu kumele iphakanyiswe,
ukuze kuthi lowo lalowo okholwa kuyo abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.” (aiōnios g166)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe kangaka waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
Ngoba uNkulunkulu kathumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuze iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo.
18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.
Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngoba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu.
19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil.
Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.
20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.
Wonke umuntu owenza ububi uyakuzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni ngoba esesaba ukuthi izenzo zakhe zizabekwa obala.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.
22 After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized.
Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile ebhaphathiza.
23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized;
Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa.
24 for John was not yet thrown into prison.
(Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.)
25 Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.
Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lomkhuba wokuzihlambulula.
26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani; yona leyana owafakaza ngayo; iyabhaphathiza bonke abantu sebesiya kuyo.”
27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
Waphendula uJohane wathi, “Umuntu wamukela kuphela lokho akuphiwayo kuvela ezulwini.
28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’
Lina ngokwenu lingakufakaza ukuthi ngathi, ‘Kangisuye uKhristu, kodwa ngithunyiwe ukumandulela.’
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full.
Umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Umkhaphi womyeni uyamnakekela, amlalele, abelokuthokoza nxa esizwa ilizwi lomyeni. Lokho kuthokoza ngokwami njalo okwamanje sekuphelele.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
Yena ufanele abemkhulu; mina kufanele kunciphe ukuqakatheka kwami.”
31 “He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
Lowo ovela phezulu ungaphezulu kwakho konke; lowo ovela emhlabeni ungowomhlaba, ukhuluma njengalowo ovela emhlabeni. Lowo ovela ezulwini ungaphezu kwakho konke.
32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
Ufakaza ngalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, kodwa kakho owamukela ubufakazi bakhe.
33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.
Lowomuntu obamukelayo usegcizelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile.
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.
Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; yena uNkulunkulu umupha umoya kungelakulinganiswa.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
UYise uyayithanda iNdodana njalo useyiphe amandla phezu kwezinto zonke.
36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (aiōnios g166)
Loba ngubani obeke ithemba lakhe eNdodaneni ulokuphila okungapheliyo, kodwa loba ngubani oyilahlayo iNdodana kazukuyibona leyompilo ngoba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lohlala luphezu kwakhe. (aiōnios g166)
