Yohane
3 Ke kaloku kwakukho umntu wakubaFarisi, igama lakhe yayinguNikodemo,+ umlawuli wamaYuda. 2 Yena weza kuye ngobusuku+ waza wathi kuye: “Rabhi,+ siyazi ukuba wena njengomfundisi+ uze uvela kuThixo;+ kuba akukho bani unokwenza le miqondiso+ uyenzayo ngaphandle kokuba uThixo unaye.”+ 3 Ekuphenduleni uYesu wathi kuye:+ “Inene, inene, ndithi kuwe, Ngaphandle kokuba nabani na azalwe kwakhona,+ akanakububona ubukumkani bukaThixo.”+ 4 UNikodemo wathi kuye: “Anganako njani na umntu ukuzalwa xa sele emdala? Akanakungena esibelekweni sikanina isihlandlo sesibini aze azalwe, andibi kunjalo?” 5 UYesu waphendula wathi: “Inene, inene, ndithi kuwe, Ngaphandle kokuba nabani na azalwe ngamanzi+ nomoya,+ akanakungena ebukumkanini bukaThixo. 6 Oko kuzelwe yinyama kuyinyama, noko kuzelwe ngumoya kungumoya.+ 7 Musa ukumangaliswa ngenxa yokuba ndikuxelele ukuba, Nimele nizalwe kwakhona.+ 8 Umoya+ uvuthuza apho ufuna khona, yaye uyasiva isandi sawo, kodwa akuwazi apho uvela khona nalapho uya khona. Unjalo wonk’ ubani ozelwe ngumoya.”+
9 Ekuphenduleni uNikodemo wathi kuye: “Zinokwenzeka njani na ezi zinto?” 10 Waphendula uYesu wathi kuye: “Ungumfundisi kaSirayeli ukanti akuzazi na ezi zinto?+ 11 Inene, inene, ndithi kuwe, Oko sikwaziyo siyakuthetha noko sikubonileyo sinikela ubungqina+ ngako, kodwa nina anibamkeli ubungqina esibunikelayo.+ 12 Ukuba ndinixelele izinto zasemhlabeni ukanti anikholwa, niya kukholwa njani ukuba ndinixelela izinto zasezulwini?+ 13 Ngaphezu koko, akukho mntu unyukele ezulwini+ ngaphandle kwalowo wehla evela ezulwini,+ uNyana womntu.+ 14 Yaye kanye njengokuba uMoses wayiphakamisayo inyoka+ entlango, ngokunjalo noNyana womntu umele aphakanyiswe,+ 15 ukuze wonk’ ubani okholwayo kuye abe nobomi obungunaphakade.+
16 “Kuba uThixo walithanda+ kakhulu ihlabathi kangangokuba wanikela ngoNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo,+ ukuze wonk’ ubani obonisa ukholo+ kuye angatshabalali+ kodwa abe nobomi obungunaphakade.+ 17 Kuba uThixo wamthumela uNyana wakhe ehlabathini, kungekhona ukuba aligwebe+ ihlabathi, kodwa ukuze ihlabathi lisindiswe+ ngaye. 18 Lowo ubonisa ukholo kuye akagwetywa.+ Lowo ungalubonisiyo ukholo sele egwetyiwe, ngenxa yokuba akalubonisanga ukholo egameni loNyana okuphela kozelweyo kaThixo.+ 19 Ke kaloku nasi isizinzi somgwebo, okokuba ukukhanya+ kufikile ehlabathini+ kodwa abantu bathande ubumnyama kunokukhanya,+ kuba imisebenzi yabo ibingendawo. 20 Kuba lowo uqhelisela ububi+ ukuthiyile ukukhanya yaye akezi ekukhanyeni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ingohlwaywa.+ 21 Kodwa lowo wenza oko kuyinyaniso uyeza ekukhanyeni,+ ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ibonakaliswe njengaleyo isetyenzwe ngokuvisisana noThixo.”
22 Emva kwezi zinto uYesu nabafundi bakhe baya kwilizwe lakwaYuda, waza apho wachitha ixesha elithile nabo yaye wayebhaptiza.+ 23 Kodwa kwanoYohane+ wayebhaptiza eAyinon kufuphi naseSalim, kuba kwakukho amanzi amaninzi+ apho, nabantu babesiza baze babhaptizwe;+ 24 kuba uYohane wayengekaphoswa entolongweni.+
25 Kwavela impikiswano kubo abafundi bakaYohane kunye nomYuda othile ngokuphathelele ukusulungekiswa.+ 26 Ngoko beza kuYohane bathi kuye: “Rabhi, laa mntu wayekunye nawe phesheya kweYordan, owawunikela ubungqina ngaye,+ yabona, uyabhaptiza yaye bonke baya kuye.”+ 27 Ekuphenduleni uYohane wathi: “Umntu akanakwamkela nanye into ngaphandle kokuba uyinikwe ivela ezulwini.+ 28 Nani ngokwenu ninikela ubungqina ngam bokuba ndathi, Mna andinguye uKRISTU,+ kodwa, ndithunywe phambi kwakhe.+ 29 Lowo unomtshakazi ngumyeni.+ Noko ke, umhlobo womyeni, xa emile aze amve, uba novuyo olukhulu ngenxa yelizwi lomyeni. Ngoko ke olu vuyo lwam luzalisiwe.+ 30 Lowo umele aqhubeke esanda kodwa mna ndimele ndiqhubeke ndincipha.”
31 Lowo uza evela phezulu ungaphezu kwabo bonke abanye.+ Lowo uvela emhlabeni ngowasemhlabeni yaye uthetha ngezinto zasemhlabeni.+ Lowo uza evela ezulwini ungaphezu kwabo bonke abanye.+ 32 Oko akubonileyo nakuvileyo, unikela ubungqina ngako,+ kodwa akukho mntu ubamkelayo ubungqina bakhe.+ 33 Lowo ubamkeleyo ubungqina bakhe ubeke itywina lakhe kubo lokuba uThixo uyinyaniso.+ 34 Lowo uThixo wamthumayo uthetha amazwi kaThixo,+ kuba akawunikeli ngomlinganiselo umoya.+ 35 UBawo uyamthanda+ uNyana yaye unikele zonke izinto esandleni+ sakhe. 36 Lowo ubonisa ukholo+ kuNyana unobomi obungunaphakade;+ lowo ungamthobeliyo uNyana akayi kububona ubomi,+ kodwa ingqumbo kaThixo ihleli phezu kwakhe.+