Jwanisi
1 Ekuthomeni uLizwi bekakhona, uLizwi bekanoZimu, begodu uLizwi bekanguzimu.* 2 BekanoZimu kusukela ekuthomeni. 3 Zoke izinto zibe khona ngaye, akukho nakunye okwaba khona ngaphandle kwakhe.
Okube khona 4 ngaye kuphila, ukuphilokho kube kukhanya kwabantu. 5 Ukukhanya kukhanya ebumnyameni, kodwana ubumnyama akhenge bukuhlule.
6 Kwavela umuntu obekathunywe njengomjameli kaZimu; ibizo lakhe bekunguJwanisi. 7 Umuntu lo weza njengofakazi, ukuthi azokufakazela ukukhanya, ukwenzela bona yoke imihlobo yabantu ikholwe ngaye. 8 Bekangasikukhanyokho, kodwana wathunyelwa ukufakaza ngokukhanyokho.
9 Ukukhanya kwamambala okukhanyisela yoke imihlobo yabantu besele kuzokuza ephasini. 10 Bekasephasini, begodu iphasi libe khona ngaye, kodwana iphasi akhenge limazi. 11 Weza ekhabo, kodwana abantu bekhabo akhenge bamamukele. 12 Nanyana kunjalo, boke abamamukelako wabanikela ilungelo lokuba bantwana bakaZimu, ngombana bakholwa ebizweni lakhe. 13 Akhenge babelethwe ngeengazi namkha ngentando yenyama namkha ngentando yendoda, kodwana ngokuvela kuZimu.
14 Nje-ke uLizwi waba yinyama wahlala hlangana nathi, sabona iphazimulwakhe, iphazimulo ekungeyendodana ebelethwe yodwa kuyise; bekagcwele umusa kaZimu* neqiniso. 15 (UJwanisi wafakaza ngaye, kwamambala, warhuwelela wathi: “Lo nguye engithe ngaye, ‘Loyo oza emva kwami sekamkhulu kunami, ngombana bekakhona mina ngingakabi khona.’ ”) 16 Soke sifumene inala yomusa omkhulu kuye, ngombana uzele umusa omkhulu. 17 Ngombana umThetho wanikelwa ngoMosi, kodwana ngoJesu Krestu wasinikela umusa omkhulu neqiniso. 18 Akunamuntu okhewabona uZimu nakanye; uzimu okukuphela kwakhe osehlangothini lakaYise* nguye omhlathululileko.
19 Lobu bufakazi uJwanisi abunikelako ngesikhathi amaJuda athumela abaphristi namaLevi avela eJerusalema azombuza ukuthi: “Ungubani?” 20 Akhenge abhale ukuphendula kodwana watjho ngokunqophileko wathi: “AngisinguKrestu.” 21 Yeke bambuza ukuthi: “Alo-ke ungubani? Ungu-Eliya?” Wathi: “Angisinguye.” Bathi: “UMphorofidi na?” Wathi: “Awa!” 22 Ngalokho bathi kuye: “Ungubani-ke? Sitjela bona sizokubuyisela ipendulo kwabasithumileko. Uthini ngawe?” 23 Wathi: “Ngililizwi lomuntu orhuwelela emmangweni lithi, ‘Yenzani indlela kaJehova inqophe,’ njengombana kwatjho umphorofidi u-Isaya.” 24 Iinthunywa lezo bezivela kubaFarisi. 25 Nje-ke bamphosa ngemibuzo bathi kuye: “Alo-ke ubhabhadiselani nangabe awusinguKrestu namkha u-Eliya namkha uMphorofidi?” 26 UJwanisi wabaphendula wathi: “Mina ngibhabhadisa ngamanzi. Ukhona ojame hlangana nani eningamaziko, 27 loyo oza emva kwami, engingafaneleki ukutjhaphulula umutja wepatlagwana lakhe.” 28 Lokhu kwenzeka eBhethaniya ngaphetjheya kweJordani, lapho uJwanisi bekabhabhadisa khona.
29 Ngakusasa kwakhona wabona uJesu eza kuye, wathi: “Qalani, iMvana kaZimu esusa isono sephasi! 30 Lo nguye engithe ngaye: ‘Emva kwami kuza umuntu omkhulu kunami, ngombana bekakhona mina ngingakabi khona.’ 31 Nami bengingamazi, kodwana isizathu sokubhabhadisa kwami ngamanzi bekukobana abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli.” 32 Godu uJwanisi wafakaza wathi: “Ngabona ummoya wehla njengejuba uvela ezulwini, wahlala phezu kwakhe. 33 Nami bengingamazi, kodwana loyo owangithuma bona ngibhabhadise ngamanzi wathi kimi: ‘Loyo ozokubona ummoya wehlela phasi bese uhlala kuye, loyo nguye obhabhadisa ngommoya ocwengileko.’ 34 Ngikubonile lokho, begodu ngafakaza ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaZimu.”
35 Godu ngelanga elilandelako, uJwanisi bekajame nabafundi bakhe ababili, 36 njengombana aqale uJesu akhamba, wathi: “Qalani iMvana kaZimu!” 37 Abafundi ababilabo nabamuzwa atjho lokho, balandela uJesu. 38 UJesu nakajikako ababona bamlandela, wathi kibo: “Nifunani?” Bathi kuye: “Rabi (nakutjhugululwako kutjho ukuthi, “Mfundisi”), uhlalaphi?” 39 Wathi kibo: “Yizani nizokubona.” Bakhamba naye babona lapho ebekahlala khona, bahlala naye mhlokho; bekungaba yisimbi yesine ntambama.* 40 U-Andrisi, umfowabo kaSimoni Pitrosi, bekangomunye wababili abezwa lokho okwatjhiwo nguJwanisi begodu balandela uJesu. 41 Wathoma ngokufumana umfowabo uSimoni, wathi kuye: “Simfumene uMesiya” (nakutjhugululwako kutjho ukuthi, “uKrestu”), 42 wamusa kuJesu. UJesu wamqala wathi: “UnguSimoni indodana kaJwanisi; kodwana uzokubizwa ngokuthi Khefasi” (nalitjhugululwako lithi, “Pitrosi”).
43 Ngelanga elilandelako wafuna ukuya eGalile. UJesu wafumana uFlebhe wathi kuye: “Ngilandela.” 44 UFlebhe bekangoweBhethesayida, idorobho u-Andrisi noPitrosi abavela kilo. 45 UFlebhe wafumana uNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Simfumene loyo ekukhulunywe ngaye emitlolweni kaMosi, emThethweni, nemitlolweni yabaPhorofidi: uJesu weNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.” 46 Kodwana uNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Ikhona intwehle engavela eNazaretha?” UFlebhe wathi kuye: “Yiza uzokubona.” 47 UJesu wabona uNathaniyeli eza ngakuye wathi kuye: “Nangu um-Israyeli wamambala okunganakohliso kuye.” 48 UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Ungazi njani?” UJesu wathi: “Ngikubone uFlebhe angakakubizi, usesengaphasi komuthi wamafeyi.” 49 UNathaniyeli wathi: “Rabi, wena uyiNdodana kaZimu, uyiKosi yakwa-Israyeli.” 50 UJesu wathi kuye: “Ukholwa ngombana ngikutjele ukuthi ngikubone ungaphasi komuthi wamafeyi? Uzokubona izinto ezikulu kunalezi.” 51 Yeke wathi kuye: “Kwamambala ngithi kini madoda, nizokubona izulu livulekile neengilozi zakaZimu zikhuphukela khona begodu zehlela eNdodaneni yomuntu.”