John 1

ULizwi Waba Yinyama

1Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi waye loNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu.

2Waye loNkulunkulu kwasekuqaleni.

3Izinto zonke zenziwa ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe kakulalutho olukhona olwenziwayo.

4Kwakukhona ukuphila kuye, lokho kuphila kwakuyikukhanya kwabantu. 5Ukukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa umnyama awukakuzwisisi.

6Kwafika umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, ibizo lakhe lalinguJohane. 7Weza njengofakazi ezoqinisa mayelana lalokho kukhanya, ukuze kuthi ngaye bonke abantu bakholwe. 8Yena qobo lwakhe waye ngeyisikho lokho kukhanya; weza nje njengofakazi wokukhanya lokho.

9Ukukhanya okuqinisileyo okunika ukukhanya emuntwini wonke kwakusiza emhlabeni.

10Wayesemhlabeni, kodwa lanxa umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, umhlaba kawumazanga. 11Weza kulokho okwakungokwakhe, kodwa okwakhe kakumemukelanga. 12Ikanti kulabo bonke abamemukelayo, kulabo abakholwayo ebizweni lakhe, wabapha ilungelo lokuba ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu – 13abantwana abangazalwanga ngendlela yemvelo, kumbe ngokuzikhethela komuntu, loba ngokuthanda kwendoda, kodwa abazelwe ngokukaNkulunkulu.

14ULizwi waba yinyama wahlala phakathi kwethu. Siyibonile inkazimulo yakhe; inkazimulo Yakhe Yedwa owavela kuYise, egcwele umusa leqiniso.

15UJohane ufakaza ngaye. Uyamemeza esithi, “Lo nguye engathi ngaye, ‘Lowo ozayo ngemva kwami usengedlule ngokuba wayevele engaphambili kwami.’ ” 16Ngenxa yokugcwala komusa wakhe sonke sizamukele izibusiso ngezibusiso. 17Ngoba umthetho walethwa ngoMosi; umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Khristu. 18Kakho osewake wambona uNkulunkulu, kodwa uNkulunkulu Onguye Yedwa, oseceleni kukaYise usemenze waziwa.

UJohane UMbhaphathizi Ulandula Ukuthi UnguKhristu

19Lobu yibo ubufakazi bukaJohane lapho abaJuda baseJerusalema bathuma abaphristi labaLevi ukuyambuza ukuthi waye ngubani.

20Kehlulekanga ukuzilanda, kodwa wazilanda ekhululekile wathi, “Kangisuye uKhristu.”

21Bambuza bathi, “Pho ungubani na? Ungu-Elija yini?” Wathi, “Kangisuye.” “UnguMphrofethi na?” Waphendula wathi, “Hatshi.”

22Bacina ngokuthi, “Ungubani? Siphe impendulo esizayisa kulabo abasithumileyo. Uzitsho uthini ngawe ngokwakho na?”

23UJohane wabaphendula ngamazwi ka-Isaya umphrofethi wathi, “Ngiyilizwi lalowo omemezayo enkangala lisithi, ‘Lungiselani iNkosi indlela iqonde,’ ”

24Kwase kusithi abanye abaFarisi ababethunyiwe 25bambuza bathi, “Kungani pho ubhaphathiza aluba ungasuye uKhristu, kumbe u-Elija loba umphrofethi?”

26UJohane waphendula wathi, “Mina ngibhaphathiza ngamanzi, kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi elingamaziyo. 27Nguye lowo ozayo ngemva kwami, mina engingafanelanga ukuthukulula imichilo yamanyathela akhe.”

28Konke lokhu kwenzeka eBhethani ngakuleliyana icele leJodani lapho uJohane ayebhaphathiza khona.

UJesu IMvana KaNkulunkulu

29Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wabona uJesu esiza kuye wathi, “Khangelani, nansi iMvana kaNkulunkulu esusa isono somhlaba!

30Nguye lo engangimutsho ngize ngithi, ‘Umuntu ozayo ngemva kwami usengedlule ngokuba wayevele ephambili kwami.’ 31Mina ngokwami bengingamazi, kodwa okwenze ngeza ngibhaphathiza ngamanzi yikuze abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli.”

32UJohane waseletha lobubufakazi: “Ngabona uMoya esehla evela ezulwini enjengejuba wahlala phezu kwakhe. 33Ngangingekumazi, kodwa lowo owangithumayo ukubhaphathiza ngamanzi wathi, ‘Lowo muntu ozabona uMoya esehlela ahlale kuye nguye kanye ozabhaphathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ 34Ngibonile yikho sengifakaza ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”

Abafundi Bokuqala BakaJesu

35Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wayekhonapho njalo elabafundi bakhe ababili.

36Wathi ebona uJesu esedlula lapho wathi, “Khangelani, nansi iMvana kaNkulunkulu!”

37Abafundi labo ababili bathi ngokuzwa lokhu basebelandela uJesu. 38Uthe uyanyemukula uJesu wababona belandela, wababuza wathi, “Lifunani na?” Bathi, “Rabi” (okutsho ukuthi Mfundisi), “uhlala ngaphi?”

39Waphendula wathi, “Wozani, lizabona.” Ngakho bahamba bayabona lapho ayehlala khona, batshona laye mhla lokho. Kwakungaba lihora letshumi.

40U-Andreya, umfowabo kaSimoni Phethro waye ngomunye wababili abezwayo okwakukhulunywa nguJohane njalo abayibo abalandela uJesu. 41Into yokuqala ayenzayo u-Andreya yikudinga umfowabo uSimoni wamtshela wathi, “Sesimfumene uMesiya” (okutsho uKhristu). 42Wasemletha kuJesu. UJesu wamkhangela wathi, “UnguSimoni indodana kaJohane. Usuzathiwa unguKhefasi!” (okuthi nxa kuchasiswa, nguPhethro).

UJesu Ubiza UFiliphu LoNathaneli

43Ngelanga elilandelayo uJesu wafuna ukusuka aye eGalile. Wabona uFiliphu wathi kuye, “Ngilandela.”

44UFiliphu wayengowedolobheni lase-Bethisayida, njengo-Andreya loPhethro. 45UFiliphu wadinga uNathaneli wamtshela wathi, “Sesimfumene lowo uMosi aloba ngaye eMthethweni, njalo abaphrofethi labo abaloba ngaye – uJesu waseNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.”

46UNathaneli wabuza wathi, “ENazaretha! Kulolutho oluhle olungavela khona?” “Woza uzobona,” kwatsho uFiliphu.

47Kwathi uJesu ebona uNathaneli eqhamuka laphaya wathi ngaye, “Nangu umIsrayeli oqotho, okungekho nkohliso kuye.”

48UNathaneli wambuza wathi, “Ungazela ngaphi na?” UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngikubonile usahlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa uFiliphu engakakubizi.”

49UNathaneli wasefakaza wathi, “Rabi, uyindodana kaNkulunkulu; uyiNkosi ka-Israyeli.”

50UJesu wathi, “Ukholwa ngoba ngithe ngikubone ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa. Usezabona izinto ezinkulu kulalokho.”

51Waphinda wengeza wathi, “Ngikutshela iqiniso, uzabona izulu livuleka, lezingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zikhwela zisehlela eNdodaneni yoMuntu.”