John 3
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
Muntu wamulikoto lya Bafalisi, lina lyakendi Nikodemo, mutangunishi wa Bayuda,
2 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.”
walesa kuli Yesu mashiku ne kwambeti, “Bashikwiyisha, tucinsheti njamwe shikwiyisha ngwalatutumina Lesa, pakwinga kuliya muntu wela kwinsa bingashilo byeshikukankamanisha mbyomulenshinga, na Lesa nkalipo nendi.”
3 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]!”
Yesu walambeti, “Cancine ndakwambilinga kuliya muntu wela kwingila mubwami bwa Lesa na liya kusemwa cipya.”
4 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]”
Nikodemo walepusheti, “Sena muntu ngosemwa kayi cipya lakulu kendi? Sena ngawingila mulibunda mubanyina ne kusemwa cipya?”
5 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].
Yesu walamukumbuleti, “Ndakwambilinga cancine ncine kwambeti kotana wingila mu Bwami bwa Lesa citanshi kusemwa ne menshi ne Mushimu Uswepa.
6 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].
Muntu ukute kusemwa kumubili, nsombi kumushimu ukute kusemwa ne Mushimu Uswepa.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
Kotakankamana pakwinga ndakwambilyeti wela kusemwa katubili.
8 [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].”
Lukupwe lukute kupupula kulubasu kulikonse, kayi mukute kunyumfweti lulapupulunga, nsombi nkokute kwinshiba nkolulafumunga nambi nkolulenga. Nicimo cimo ne muntu uliyense lasemwa ne Mushimu Uswepa.”
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
Nikodemo walepusheti, “Ibi ngabinshika aconi?”
10 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]
Yesu walambeti, “Sena obe ntobe shikwiyisha wenshibikwa mu islayeli, nomba nkobinshi aconi bintu ibi?”
11 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].
Ndakwambilinga cancine ncine tukute kwamba mbyotwinshi, kayi tukute kupa bukamboni mbyotwalabona, nomba amwe nkamulashomonga maswi etu.
12 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]
Na nkamulashomonga mpondamwambilinga byapanshi pano, nomba ngamushoma aconi ndamwambila bintu byakwilu?
13 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].
“Kuliya muntu walayako kwilu, nsombi Mwana Muntu ewalesa kufuma kwilu.
14 [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].
Nomba kayi mbuli Mose mucinyika musa walapacika njoka ya mukuba pelu pacitondo, copeleco neye Mwana Muntu nakanyamunwe pelu mushobomo.
Kwambeti uliyense wamushoma akabe ne buyumi butapu. (aiōnios g166)
16 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)
Kayi Lesa walabasunisha bantu pacishi capanshi, ecebo cakendi walayaba Mwanendi umo enka, kwambeti uliyense eti akamushome akacane buyumi butapu. (aiōnios g166)
17 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].
Lesa nkalatuma Mwanendi panshi pano, kwambeti omboloshe milandu ya bantu, nsombi kwambeti abapulushe.
18 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].
“Namuntu washoma muli Yesu, Lesa nteshi akamomboloshe, nsombi abo balabulunga kushoma balomboloshewanga kendi, pakwinga nkabalashomonga Mwana wa Lesa enka.
19 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].
Lombolosho nulu lwakwambeti nekukabeti mumuni walesa pacishi capanshi bantu balasuna mushinshe, kupita mumuni pakwinga incito shabo shaipa.
20 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].
Uliyense lenshinga byaipa, wapatana ne mumuni. Kayi nkakute kwisa patuba, kutina incito shakendi shaipa kwambeti ngashibonekela.
21 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.
Nsombi balenshinga byancine ncine bakute kwisa patuba, kayi bya kwinsa byabo bikute kwinshibiketi labinshi mwakunyumfwila Lesa.”
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
Panyuma pakendi, Yesu ne beshikwiya bakendi balaya ku cimpansha caYudeya. Walekala nabo kwacindi citali kopeloko kabatisha bantu.
23 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}.
Neye Yohane walikubatisha ku Ainoni pepi ne Salimu, pakwinga ekwalikuba menshi angi. Bantu balikushika kulyendiye, walikubabatisha.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
Pacindici Yohane walikatana uwalwa mujele.
25 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].
Beshikwiya bambi baYohane balatatika kutototekeshana ne Muyuda naumbi shamwambo wakuliswepesha.
26 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]!”
Neco beshikwiya basa balesa kuli Yohane ne kumwambileti, “Mwiyi bonani, muntu usa ngomwalikwamba nendi kutala kwa mulonga wa Yolodani, usa ngomwalenshila bukamboni neye labatishinga, kayi bantu bonse balafwambilinga kulyendiye.”
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
Yohane walakumbuleti, “Muntu nkela kutambula kantu kalikonse na Lesa liya kumupa.
28 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.
Amwe ngamumbela bukamboni pakwinga mwalanyumfwa ndalambeti, Ntame Mupulushi Walaiwa, nsombi njame walatumwa pantangu pakendi.
29 [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].
Nyabwinga nimuka shibwinga. Nomba munendi nyabwinga emanapepi kanyumfwako ukute kukondwa anyumfwa maswi ashibwinga. Nicimo cimo nenjame kukondwa kwakame kulakwana.
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
Usa welela kuba ne bulemu bunene bwapita bwakame.”
31 [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.
“Weshikufuma kwilu wapita bonse. Weshikufuma panshi pano niwapanshi pano, kayi ukute kwamba bya panshi pano. Weshikufuma kwilu wapita bonse.
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
Nendi uyu lenshinga bukamboni pa bintu mbyalabona ne kunyumfwa, nsombi paliya ukute kushoma maswi akendi.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Nsombi muntu ashoma maswi akendi, ukute kulesheti Lesa ukute kukwanilisha malayano akendi.
34 [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].
Uyo Lesa ngwalatuma, ukute kwamba maswi a Lesa, pakwinga Lesa ukute kumupa Mushimu Uswepa wabula cipimo.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
Bata bamusuni mwanabo, kayi babika bintu byonse mumakasa akendi.
36 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)
Muntu lashomonga mwanoyo, ukute buyumi butapu. Nsombi lakananga kushoma mwanoyo, nteshi akabe nebuyumi, neco bukalu bwa Lesa buli palyendiye cindi conse.” (aiōnios g166)
