UJohane 1:1-51
1 Ekuqaleni kwakuloLizwi, uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu njalo uLizwi wayengunkulunkulu.
2 WayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni.
3 Zonke izinto zaba khona ngaye, futhi akukho ngitsho lokukodwa okukhona okungazange kwenziwe ngaye.
4 Ukuphila kwaba khona ngaye, njalo ukuphila kwakuyikukhanya kwabantu.
5 Ukukhanya kuyakhanyisa emnyameni kodwa ubumnyama lobu behlulekile ukukucitsha ukukhanya.
6 Kwafika indoda eyayithunywe ukuthi izokuba ngummeli kaNkulunkulu; ibizo layo kwakunguJohane.
7 Indoda le yayilande ukuzofakaza. Yayizafakaza ngokukhanya, ukuze yonke imihlobo yabantu ikholwe ngayo.
8 Yayingayisikho kukhanya lokho kodwa yayizofakaza ngakho.
9 Ukukhanya kweqiniso okukhanyisela yonke imihlobo yabantu kwasekuzabuya emhlabeni.
10 ULizwi wayesemhlabeni njalo umhlaba waba khona ngaye. Kodwa umhlaba kawuzange umazi.
11 Wafika endaweni yakibo kodwa abantu bakibo kabazange bamamukele.
12 Kodwa bonke abamamukelayo wabapha ilungelo lokuba ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu ngoba babetshengise ukuthi balokholo ebizweni lakhe,
13 njalo kabazalwanga ngegazi kumbe ngentando yenyama loba eyomuntu, kodwa bazalwa ngentando kaNkulunkulu.
14 Ngakho uLizwi waba ngumuntu* wahlala lathi, sayibona inkazimulo yakhe enjengaleyo ubaba ayipha indodana yakhe ezelwe yodwa; futhi wayegcwele umusa ovela kuNkulunkulu* kanye leqiniso.
15 (UJohane wafakaza ngaye ememeza esithi: “Lo nguye engangimutsho ngize ngithi, ‘Lowo oza ngemva kwami usedlule waya phambi kwami ngoba yena wayekhona ngingakabi khona.’”)
16 Sonke samukela umusa omkhulu phezu komusa omkhulu ngoba yena wayegcwele umusa omkhulu.
17 Umusa omkhulu leqiniso kwaba khona ngoJesu Khristu ngenxa yokuthi uMthetho walethwa ngoMosi.
18 Kakho osewake wambona uNkulunkulu kodwa unkulunkulu ozelwe yedwa oseceleni kukaYise* nguye osemchasisile.
19 Lobu yibo ubufakazi uJohane abethulayo amaJuda aze athume abaphristi labaLevi besuka eJerusalema ukuthi bambuze bathi: “Wena ungubani?”
20 Kazange ale ukuphendula kodwa wabatshela iqiniso wathi: “Kangisuye Khristu mina.”
21 Basebembuza bathi: “Manje okuyikho yikuphi? Ungu-Elija yini?” Yena wathi: “Hatshi.” Basebesithi: “UngumPhrofethi?” Waphendula wathi: “Hatshi!”
22 Bathi kuye: “Ungubani? Sitshele ukuze siyephendula abasithumileyo. Wena uzithi ungubani?”
23 Yena wathi: “Ngililizwi lalowo omemeza esenkangala esithi, ‘Yenzani indlela kaJehova iqonde,’ njengoba umphrofethi u-Isaya watsho.”
24 Abantu laba ababembuza babethunywe ngabaFarisi.
25 Ngakho bambuza bathi: “Manje ubhabhathizelani wena ungayisuye uKhristu kumbe u-Elija njalo ungasimPhrofethi?”
26 UJohane wabaphendula wathi: “Mina ngibhabhathiza ngamanzi. Ukhona omi phakathi kwenu elingamaziyo,
27 lowo ozayo ngemva kwami, njalo kakungifanelanga ukuthukulula intambo zamanyathela akhe.”
28 Izinto lezi zenzakala eBhethani ngaphetsheya kweJodani lapho uJohane ayebhabhathizela khona.
29 Ngelanga elilandelayo wabona uJesu esiza kuye, wathi: “Khangelani, nansi iMvana kaNkulunkulu esusa isono somhlaba!
30 Lo nguye engangimutsho ngize ngithi: ‘Ngemva kwami kuza indoda esidlule yaya phambi kwami ngoba yona yayikhona ngingakabi khona.’
31 Lami nginje bengingamazi kodwa ngibuye ngazobhabhathiza ngamanzi ukuze abonakale kwabako-Israyeli.”
32 UJohane waphinda wafakaza wathi: “Ngibone umoya usehla njengejuba uvela ezulwini, waqhubeka uphezu kwakhe.
33 Lami bengingamazi kodwa lowo owangithuma ukuthi ngibhabhathize ngamanzi wathi kimi: ‘Loba ngubani ozabona umoya usehlela phezu kwakhe uqhubeke ukuye, nguye obhabhathiza ngomoya ongcwele.’
34 Lakanye ngiwubonile ngafakaza ukuthi lo nguye iNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
35 Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wayemi labafundi bakhe ababili.
36 Uthe ebona uJesu edlula wathi: “Khangelani, nansiya iMvana kaNkulunkulu!”
37 Abafundi laba ababili bathi bemuzwa esitsho njalo balandela uJesu.
38 UJesu wathi jeqe wababona bemlandela, wasesithi kubo: “Lidingani?” Bathi kuye: “Rabi uhlala ngaphi?” (Ukuthi Rabi kutsho ukuthi “Mfundisi.”)
39 Wathi kubo: “Buyani lizobona.” Basebehamba bayabona lapho ayehlala khona, batshona laye lelolanga. Kwakungaba lihola letshumi* ebabiza.
40 U-Andreya umfowabo kaSimoni Phetro wayengomunye wabafundi ababili abezwa okwakhulunywa nguJohane basebelandela uJesu.
41 Waqala wathola umfowabo uSimoni, wathi kuye: “Sesimtholile uMesiya” (okutsho ukuthi “Khristu”),
42 wasehamba laye kuJesu. UJesu wamkhangela wasesithi kuye: “UnguSimoni, indodana kaJohane. Uzabizwa ngokuthi unguKhefasi” (okutsho ukuthi “Phetro”).
43 Ngelanga elilandelayo uJesu wayefuna ukuya eGalile. Wathola uFiliphu wathi kuye: “Woba ngumlandeli wami.”
44 UFiliphu wayengoweBhethisayida, idolobho lapho okwakuvela khona u-Andreya loPhetro.
45 UFiliphu wathola uNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Sesimtholile uJesu waseNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa, lowo uMosi abhala ngaye eMthethweni lalowo abaPhrofethi ababhala ngaye.”
46 Kodwa uNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Kambe kukhona okuhle okungaphuma eNazaretha?” UFiliphu wathi kuye: “Buya uzozibonela.”
47 UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli esiza kuye wakhuluma ngaye wathi: “Khangelani, um-Israyeli uqobo, ongelabuqili ngitsho.”
48 UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Kanti ungazela ngaphi?” UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Ngikubone ungaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa uFiliphu engakakubizi.”
49 UNathaniyeli wasesithi: “Rabi uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uyiNkosi yako-Israyeli.”
50 UJesu wathi kuye: “Okwenza ukholwe yikuthi ngithe ngikubone ungaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa yini? Uzabona izinto ezinkulu kulalezi.”
51 Wasesithi: “Madoda, ngiqinisile sibili ngithi kini, lizabona izulu livuleka lezingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zikhwela futhi zisehla zisiya eNdodaneni yomuntu.”
Amabala angaphansi
^ NgesiGrikhi, “yinyama.”
^ Kumbe, “umusa omkhulu.”
^ Kumbe, “osesifubeni sikaYise,” okutsho ukuthi oseduze kakhulu loYise.
^ Ngabo-4 emini.
