John 3

UJesu Ufundisa UNikhodemu

1Kwakulendoda kubaFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodemu, elilunga lomphakathi wabaJuda ababusayo. 2Weza kuJesu ebusuku wathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngokuba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena uma uNkulunkulu engelaye.”

3Esephendula uJesu wathi, “Ngiyaqinisa ngithi ngaphandle kokuba umuntu azalwe futhi, angeke awubone umbuso kaNkulunkulu.”

4UNikhodemu wathi, “Kanti umuntu angazalwa kanjani yena esemdala na? Ngeqiniso, angazake angene ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina ukuze azalwe!”

5UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngiyaqinisa ngithi, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, angeke awungene umbuso kaNkulunkulu. 6Inyama izala inyama, kodwa uMoya uzala umoya. 7Ungamangaliswa yikuthi kwami, ‘Limele lizalwe njalo.’ 8Umoya uphephetha loba kungaphi lapho othanda khona. Ungakuzwa ukuhuba kwawo, kodwa ungeke utsho ukuthi uvela ngaphi loba ukuthi uya ngaphi. Ngakho kunjalo emuntwini wonke ozelwe ngoMoya.”

9UNikhodemu wabuza wathi, “Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”

10UJesu wathi, “Ungumfundisi wako-Israyeli, pho kungani ungazwisisi izinto lezi na?

11Ngiqinisile ngithi sikhuluma ngesikwaziyo njalo sifakaza ngesikubonileyo, kodwa lina bantu kalibamukeli ubufakazi bethu. 12Ngikhulume kini ngezinto zalapha emhlabeni kodwa kalikholwa; pho lizakholwa kanjani nxa ngingakhuluma ngokwasezulwini? 13Ka-kho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini – iNdodana yoMuntu 14NjengoMosi waphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu imele iphakanyiswe, 15ukuze kuthi lowo lalowo okholwayo kuyo abelokuphila okungapheliyo.

16“UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe iyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo. 17Ngokuba uNkulunkulu kathumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuba iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuba umhlaba usindiswe ngayo. 18Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngokuba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu. 19Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngokuba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi.

20Wonke umuntu owenza ububi uyakuzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni ngoba esesaba ukuthi izenzo zakhe zizadalulwa.

21Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.”

Ubufakazi BukaJohane NgoJesu

22Ngemuva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile, ebhaphathiza.

23Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi, ngokuba kwakulamanzi amanengi, njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa. 24(Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.)

25Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lendaba yokuzihlambulula komkhuba. 26Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani – yona leyana owafakaza ngayo – hawu, iyabhaphathiza, bonke abantu sebesiya kuyo.”

27Waphendula uJohane wathi, “Umuntu wamukela kuphela lokho akuphiwayo kuvela ezulwini. 28Lina ngokwenu lingakufakaza ukuthi ngathi, ‘Kangisuye uKhristu, kodwa ngithunyiwe ukumandulela.’ 29Umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Umkhaphi womyeni uyamnakekela, amlalele, abelokuthokoza nxa esizwa ilizwi lomyeni. Lokho kuthokoza kungokwami, okwamanje sekuphelele.

30Yena ufanele abemkhulu; mina kufanele kunciphe ukuqakatheka kwami.

31“Lowo ovela phezulu ungaphezulu kwakho konke; lowo ovela emhlabeni ungowomhlaba, ukhuluma njengalowo ovela emhlabeni. Lowo ovela ezulwini ungaphezu kwakho konke.

32Ufakaza ngalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, kodwa kakho owamukela ubufakazi bakhe.

33Lowomuntu obamukelayo usegcizelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile. 34Ngokuba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; yena uNkulunkulu umupha umoya kungelakulinganiswa. 35UYise uyayithanda iNdodana njalo useyiphe amandla phezu kwezinto zonke. 36Loba ngubani obeke ithemba lakhe eNdodaneni ulokuphila okungapheliyo, kodwa loba ngubani oyilahlayo iNdodana kazukuyibona leyompilo ngokuba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu seluphezu kwakhe.”