‏ John 3

UJesu Ufundisa UNikhodimasi

1Kwakulendoda engumFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodimasi, ililunga lomphakathi wamaJuda abusayo. 2Yaya kuJesu ebusuku yathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngoba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena nxa uNkulunkulu engelaye.”

3UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi kini, akakho ozawubona umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba azalwe kutsha.”

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

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

9UNikhodimasi 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? 13Kakho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu. 14NjengoMosi owaphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu kumele iphakanyiswe, 15ukuze kuthi lowo lalowo okholwa kuyo abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.”

16UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe kangaka waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo. 17Ngoba uNkulunkulu kathumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuze iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo. 18Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngoba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu. 19Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi. 20Wonke umuntu owenza ububi uyakuzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni ngoba esesaba ukuthi izenzo zakhe zizabekwa obala. 21Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.

Ubufakazi BukaJohane NgoJesu

22Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile ebhaphathiza. 23Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa. 24(Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.) 25Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lomkhuba wokuzihlambulula. 26Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani; yona leyana owafakaza ngayo; 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 ngokwami njalo okwamanje sekuphelele. 30Yena ufanele abemkhulu; mina kufanele kunciphe ukuqakatheka kwami.”

31Lowo 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. 34Ngoba 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 ngoba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lohlala luphezu kwakhe.