Kubalisa uYohane 3:1-36
3 Kwakukho indoda engumFarisi, igama layo inguNikodemo,+ umlawuli wamaYuda.
2 UNikodemo weza kuYesu ebusuku,+ wathi kuye: “Mfundisi,*+ siyazi ukuba uthunywe nguThixo, kuba akekho umntu onokwenza le mimangaliso ingaka+ ngaphandle kokuba uncedwa nguThixo.”+
3 UYesu wathi kuye: “Ndiyakuqinisekisa ukuba, umntu akanakububona uBukumkani bukaThixo+ engakhange azalwe kwakhona.”*+
4 UNikodemo wathi kuye: “Umntu angaphinda azalwe njani xa sele emdala? Kaloku akanakuphinda angene esibelekweni sikamama wakhe aze azalwe, andithi?”
5 UYesu wathi: “Ndiyakuqinisekisa ukuba, umntu akanakungena eBukumkanini bukaThixo ngaphandle kokuba azalwe ngamanzi+ nangomoya.+
6 Into ezelwe ngumntu ngumntu, nezelwe ngumoya ngumoya.
7 Mayingakumangalisi into yokuba ndithe kuwe: Nimele nizalwe kwakhona.
8 Umoya uphephezela apho uthanda khona, usive isandi sawo, kodwa ube ungawazi apho uvela khona nalapho uya khona. Unjalo wonke umntu ozelwe ngumoya.”+
9 UNikodemo wathi kuye: “Ingenzeka njani loo nto?”
10 UYesu wathi: “Ungathi ungumfundisi kaSirayeli, ube ungazazi ezi zinto?
11 Ndiyakuqinisekisa ukuba, siyazithetha izinto esizaziyo, siyazingqina nesizibonileyo, kodwa anifuni kusimamela.
12 Ukuba anindikholelwa xa ndithetha ngezinto zasemhlabeni, niza kuzikholelwa njani ezasezulwini?
13 Kwakhona, akukho mntu ukhe waya ezulwini+ ngaphandle kwalowo uvela khona,+ uNyana womntu.
14 Njengokuba uMoses wayixhomayo inyoka entlango,+ noNyana womntu umele axhonywe,+
15 ukuze wonke umntu okholwayo kuye afumane ubomi obungunaphakade.+
16 “Kuba uThixo walithanda kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe ekuphela kwamzeleyo,+ ukuze wonke umntu ozikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo aze azenze, angatshabalali, kodwa afumane ubomi obungunaphakade.+
17 UThixo akamthumelanga uNyana wakhe ukuze aligwebe ihlabathi, kodwa umthumele ukuze lisindiswe ngaye.+
18 Nabani na ozikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo aze azenze, akazukugwetywa.+ Nabani na ongazikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo nongazenziyo, sele egwetyiwe, kuba khange akholelwe ukuba nguye okuphela koNyana ozelwe nguThixo.+
19 Nasi isizathu sokugwetywa kwabantu: kuye kwafika ukukhanya emhlabeni+ kodwa abantu baye bathanda ubumnyama kunokukhanya, kuba benza izinto ezingalunganga.
20 Kuba nabani na owenza izinto ezingcolileyo uyakucaphukela ukukhanya, ibe akasondeli ekukhanyeni, ukuze izinto azenzayo zingabonwa ngabantu.
21 Kodwa nabani na owenza izinto ezilungileyo uyeza ekukhanyeni,+ ukuze izinto azenzayo zibonwe ukuba ziyavumelana nokuthanda kukaThixo.”
22 Emva koko, uYesu wahamba nabafundi bakhe baya kwiilali zakwaYuda, wakhe wahlala apho nabafundi bakhe, ebhaptiza.+
23 Kodwa noYohane wayebhaptiza eAyinon kufuphi naseSalim, kuba kwakukho amanzi amaninzi apho,+ ibe nabantu babesiza baze babhaptizwe;+
24 kuba uYohane wayengekavalelwa ejele.+
25 Abafundi bakaYohane baphikisana nomnye umYuda ngesithethe esasimele silandelwe ukuze umntu acoceke.
26 Ngoko baya kuYohane, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi,* laa ndoda wawungqina ngayo+ neyayikunye nawe phesheya kweYordan, ibhaptiza abantu, ibe bonke baya kuyo.”
27 UYohane wathi: “Akanakwamkela nto umntu, engayinikwanga ivela ezulwini.
28 Nani niyandingqinela ukuba ndathi, ‘Andinguye uKristu,+ kodwa ndithunywe phambi kwakhe.’+
29 Umntu onomtshakazi ngumyeni.+ Xa umhlobo womyeni emi ngakuye, esiva nento ayithethayo, uvuya kakhulu. Ngoko ke nam ndivuya kakhulu.
30 UKristu umele aqhubeke esanda, mna ndiqhubeke ndincipha.”
31 Lowo usuka phezulu+ mkhulu kunabo bonke abanye abantu. Yena lowo usuka emhlabeni uthetha izinto zasemhlabeni, kuba ngowasemhlabeni. Lowo usuka ezulwini mkhulu kunabo bonke abanye abantu.+
32 Ungqina ngezinto azibonileyo nazivileyo,+ kodwa akukho mntu umkholelwayo.+
33 Nabani na omkholelwayo, uyangqina ukuba uThixo nguThixo wenene.+
34 Lowo wathunywa nguThixo uthetha amazwi kaThixo,+ kuba uThixo akazange amlinganisele umoya wakhe.
35 UTata uyamthanda uNyana,+ ibe umnike igunya lokulawula yonke into.+
36 Lowo uzikholelwayo izinto azifundisayo uNyana kaThixo aze azenze, uza kufumana ubomi obungunaphakade;+ kodwa lowo ungamthobeliyo uNyana kaThixo, akazukubufumana,+ ibe uza kuhlala ewuva umsindo kaThixo.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “Rabhi.”
^ Okanye kusenokwenzeka, “engakhange azalwe ngokusuka phezulu.”
^ Okanye “Rabhi.”
