UJohane 12
1 Kwathi kuselensuku eziyisithupha lingakafiki iphasika, uJesu wafika eBethani, lapho okwakuloLazaro khona owayefile, ayemvuse kwabafileyo.
Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead, was living.
2 Basebemenzela ukudla kwantambama lapho, loMarta wayesebenza; njalo uLazaro wayengomunye walabo ababehlezi ekudleni laye.
There a supper was given in his honour at which Martha waited, while Lazarus was one of those present at the table.
3 UMariya wasethatha iphawundi yamagcobo awenadi uqobo adulayo, wagcoba inyawo zikaJesu, wesula inyawo zakhe ngenwele zakhe; lendlu yagcwala iphunga lamagcobo.
So Mary took a pound of choice spikenard perfume of great value, and anointed the feet of Jesus with it, and then wiped them with her hair. The whole house was filled with the scent of the perfume.
4 Ngakho omunye wabafundi bakhe, uJudasi Iskariyothi kaSimoni, owayezamnikela, wathi:
One of the disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was about to betray Jesus, asked,
5 Kungani amafutha la engathengiswanga ngabodenariyo abangamakhulu amathathu, kwasekunikwa abayanga?
‘Why was not this perfume sold for a year’s wages, and the money given to poor people?’
6 Wakutsho-ke lokhu, kungeyisikho ukuthi ekhathalele abayanga, kodwa ngoba wayelisela, wayelesikhwama, ethwala okwakufakwa phakathi kwaso.
He said this, not because he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and, being in charge of the purse, used to take what was put in it.
7 UJesu wasesithi: Myekeleni; uwalondolozele usuku lokungcwatshwa kwami.
‘Leave her alone,’ said Jesus, ‘so that she may keep it until the day when my body is being prepared for burial.
8 Ngoba abayanga lihlala lilabo, kodwa mina kalihlali lilami.
The poor you always have with you, but you will not always have me.’
9 Ngakho ixuku elikhulu lamaJuda lakwazi ukuthi ulapho; laselisiza kungesikuthi ngenxa kaJesu kuphela, kodwa lokuthi babone loLazaro, ayemvuse kwabafileyo.
Now great numbers of people found out that Jesus was at Bethany; and they came there, not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
10 Abapristi abakhulu basebesenza icebo lokuthi babulale loLazaro;
The chief priests, however, plotted to put Lazarus, as well as Jesus, to death,
11 ngoba ngenxa yakhe amaJuda amanengi asuka, akholwa kuJesu.
because it was owing to him that many of the people had left them, and were becoming believers in Jesus.
12 Kusisa ixuku elikhulu elalizile emkhosini, lezwa ukuthi uJesu uyeza eJerusalema,
On the following day great numbers of people who had come to the Festival, hearing that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, took palm branches,
13 bathatha ingatsha zezihlahla zelala, baphuma ukuyamhlangabeza, bamemeza besithi: Hosana! Ubusisiwe ozayo ebizweni leNkosi, iNkosi kaIsrayeli.
and went out to meet him, shouting as they went, ‘God save him! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord – the king of Israel!’
14 UJesu wasefica ithole likababhemi, wahlala phezu kwalo, njengokulotshiweyo ukuthi:
Having found a young donkey, Jesus seated himself on it, in accordance with the passage of scripture –
15 Ungesabi, ndodakazi yeSiyoni; khangela, inkosi yakho iyeza, ihlezi phezu kwethole likababhemi.
“Fear not, people of Zion. Your king is coming to you, sitting on the foal of a donkey.”
16 Kodwa abafundi bakhe kabaqedisisanga lezizinto ekuqaleni; kodwa uJesu esedunyisiwe, basebekhumbula ukuthi lezizinto zazilotshiwe ngaye, lokuthi babezenzile lezizinto kuye.
His disciples did not understand all this at first; but, when Jesus had been exalted, then they remembered that these things had been said of him in scripture, and that they had done these things for him.
17 Ngakho ixuku elalilaye lapho ebiza uLazaro ukuthi aphume engcwabeni, emvusa kwabafileyo, lafakaza.
Meanwhile the people who were with him, when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, were telling what they had seen.
18 Ngenxa yalokhu ixuku laphuma futhi ukuyamhlangabeza, ngoba lezwa ukuthi wenze lesisibonakaliso.
This, indeed, was why the crowd met him – because people had heard that he had given this sign of his mission.
19 Ngakho abaFarisi bakhulumisana besithi: Liyabona ukuthi kalisizi lutho; khangelani umhlaba uyamlandela.
So the Pharisees said to one another, ‘You see that you are gaining nothing! Why, all the world has run after him!’
20 Kwakukhona amaGriki phakathi kwalabo ababenyukelele ukukhonza emkhosini;
Among those who were going up to worship at the Festival were some Greeks,
21 wona-ke eza kuFiliphu oweBhethisayida yeGalili, basebemcela besithi: Nkosi, sithanda ukubona uJesu.
who went to Philip of Bethsaida in Galilee, and said, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’
22 UFiliphu weza watshela uAndreya; uAndreya loFiliphu basebetshela uJesu futhi.
Philip went and told Andrew, and then together they went and told Jesus.
23 UJesu wasebaphendula esithi: Ihola selifikile lokuthi iNdodana yomuntu idunyiswe.
This was his reply – ‘The time has come for the Son of Man to be exalted.
24 Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile, ngithi kini: Ngaphandle kokuthi uhlamvu lwebele luwele emhlabathini lufe, lona luhlala lulodwa; kodwa aluba lusifa, luthela isithelo sande.
In truth I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains solitary; but, if it dies, it becomes fruitful.
25 Yena othanda impilo yakhe uyalahlekelwa yiyo; lozonda impilo yakhe kulumhlaba uzayilondoloza kuze kube yimpilo engulaphakade. (aiōnios g166)
A person who loves their life loses it; while someone who hates their life in the present world will preserve it for eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
26 Uba umuntu engisebenzela, kangilandele; lalapho engikhona mina, lenceku yami izakuba khona. Futhi uba umuntu engisebenzela, uBaba uzamhlonipha.
If someone is ready to serve me, let them follow me; and where I am, there my servant will be also. If a person is ready to serve me, my Father will honour them.
27 Khathesi umphefumulo wami ukhathazekile; sengizathini? Baba, ngisindise kulelihola. Kodwa ngenxa yalokhu ngifikile kulelihola.
Now I am distressed at heart and what can I say? Father, bring me safe through this hour – yet it was for this reason that I came to this hour –
28 Baba, dumisa ibizo lakho. Kwasekusiza ilizwi livela ezulwini lisithi: Sengilidumisile, ngizaphinda ngilidumise.
Father, honour your own name.’ At this there came a voice from heaven, which said, ‘I have already honoured it, and I will honour it again.’
29 Ngakho ixuku elalimi khona lisizwa lathi kube lomdumo. Abanye bathi: Ingilosi ikhulume laye.
The crowd of bystanders, who heard the sound, said that it was thundering. Others said, ‘An angel has been speaking to him.’
30 UJesu waphendula wathi: Lelilizwi kalizanga ngenxa yami, kodwa ngenxa yenu.
‘It was not for my sake that the voice came,’ said Jesus, ‘but for yours.
31 Khathesi kulesigwebo salumhlaba; khathesi umbusi walumhlaba uzaxotshelwa phandle.
Now this world is on its trial. Now the Spirit that is ruling this world will be driven out;
32 Mina-ke nxa ngiphakanyiswa emhlabeni, ngizadonsela bonke kimi.
and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’
33 Watsho-ke lokhu etshengisa uhlobo lokufa ayezakufa ngalo.
By these words he indicated what death he was destined to die.
34 Ixuku lamphendula lathi: Thina sezwa emlayweni ukuthi uKristu uhlala phakade; njalo ungatsho njani ukuthi: INdodana yomuntu imele ukuphakanyiswa? Ingubani le iNdodana yomuntu? (aiōn g165)
‘We,’ replied the people, ‘have learned from the Law that the Christ is to remain for ever; how is it, then, that you say that the Son of Man must be “lifted up” Who is this “Son of Man”?’ (aiōn g165)
35 UJesu wasesithi kubo: Kuseyisikhatshana ukukhanya lilakho. Hambani liselokukhanya, hlezi umnyama ulehlule; njalo ohamba emnyameni kazi lapho aya khona.
‘Only a little while longer,’ answered Jesus, ‘will you have the light among you. Travel on while you have the light, so that darkness may not overtake you; he who travels in the darkness does not know where he is going.
36 Liselokukhanya, kholwani kukho ukukhanya, ukuze libe ngabantwana bokukhanya. UJesu wakhuluma lezizinto, wasuka, wabacatshela.
While you still have the light, believe in the light, so that you may be children of light.’ After he had said this, Jesus went away, and hid himself from them.
37 Lanxa wayenze izibonakaliso ezinengi kangaka phambi kwabo, kabakholwanga kuye;
But, though Jesus had given so many signs of his mission before their eyes, they still did not believe in him,
38 ukuze ligcwaliseke ilizwi likaIsaya umprofethi, alikhulumayo elokuthi: Nkosi, ngubani okholwe intshumayelo yethu? Lengalo yeNkosi yembulelwa bani?
in fulfilment of the words of the prophet Isaiah, where he says – “Lord, who has believed our teaching? And to whom has the might of the Lord been revealed?”
39 Ngakho babengelakho ukukholwa, ngoba uIsaya wabuya wathi:
The reason why they were unable to believe is given by Isaiah elsewhere, in these words –
40 Uphumputhekisile amehlo abo, wayenza lukhuni inhliziyo yabo; ukuze bangaboni ngamehlo abo, baqedisise ngenhliziyo, baphenduke, besengibasilisa.
“He has blinded their eyes, and blunted their mind, so that they should not see with their eyes, and perceive with their mind, and turn – And I should heal them.”
41 UIsaya wakhuluma lezizinto, lapho ebona inkazimulo yakhe, wakhuluma ngaye.
Isaiah said this, because he saw Christ’s glory; and it was of him that he spoke.
42 Loba kunjalo-ke labanengi bababusi bakholwa kuye; kodwa ngenxa yabaFarisi kabavumanga, ukuze bangakhutshwa esinagogeni;
Yet for all this, even among the leading men there were many who came to believe in Jesus; but, because of the Pharisees, they did not acknowledge it, because they were afraid that they should be expelled from their synagogues;
43 ngoba bathanda udumo lwabantu kulodumo lukaNkulunkulu.
for they valued honour from people more than honour from God.
44 UJesu wasememeza esithi: Okholwa kimi, kakholwa kimi, kodwa kuye ongithumileyo;
But Jesus had proclaimed, ‘He who believes in me believes, not in me, but in him who sent me;
45 njalo obona mina, ubona ongithumileyo.
and he who sees me sees him who sent me.
46 Mina ngizile ngiyikukhanya emhlabeni, ukuze wonke okholwa kimi, angahlali emnyameni.
I have come as a light into the world, so that no one who believes in me should remain in the darkness.
47 Njalo uba ekhona owezwayo amazwi ami angakholwa, mina kangimgwebi; ngoba kangizanga ukuthi ngigwebe umhlaba, kodwa ukuze ngisindise umhlaba.
When anyone hears my teaching and pays no heed to it, I am not his judge; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.
48 Yena ongalayo engawemukeli amazwi ami, ulaye omgwebayo; ilizwi esengilikhulumile, lona lizamgweba ngosuku lokucina.
He who rejects me, and disregards my teaching, has a judge already – the message which I have delivered will itself be his judge at the Last day.
49 Ngoba mina kangizikhulumelanga ngokwami; kodwa uBaba ongithumileyo, nguye onginike umlayo, wokuthi ngizathini lokuthi ngizakhulumani.
For I have not delivered it on my own authority; but the Father, who sent me, has himself given me his command as to what I should say, and what message I should deliver.
50 Njalo ngiyazi ukuthi umlayo wakhe uyimpilo elaphakade; ngakho izinto mina engizikhulumayo, njengokutsho kukaBaba kimi, ngokunjalo ngiyakhuluma. (aiōnios g166)
And I know that eternal life lies in keeping his command. Therefore, whatever I say, I say only what the Father has taught me.’ (aiōnios g166)
