Ngokuya NgoJwanisi
3 BekunomFarisi othileko igama lakhe kunguNikhodemusi,+ ombusi wamaJuda. 2 Weza kuJesu ebusuku+ wathi kuye: “Rabi,+ siyazi ukuthi umfundisi ovela kuZimu ngombana akunamuntu ongenza iimbonakaliso+ ozenzakwezi ngaphandle kokuthi uZimu anaye.”+ 3 UJesu wathi kuye: “Kwamambala ngithi kuwe, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu abelethwe kabutjha,*+ angekhe awubone umBuso kaZimu.”+ 4 UNikhodemusi wathi: “Umuntu angabelethwa njani sekamdala? Angithi angekhe angena ngesibelethweni sakanina abelethwe godu?” 5 UJesu waphendula wathi: “Kwamambala ngithi kuwe, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu abelethwe ngamanzi+ nangommoya, angekhe angene emBusweni kaZimu. 6 Okubelethwe yinyama yinyama begodu okubelethwe ngommoya kumumoya. 7 Ungarareki ngombana ngithe kuwe: Kufuze nibelethwe kabutjha. 8 Umoya uvunguzela lapho ufuna khona, beniyalizwa itjhada lawo kodwana anazi ukuthi uvelaphi nokuthi uyaphi. Kunjalo nangawo woke umuntu obelethwe ngommoya.”+
9 UNikhodemusi wathi kuye: “Kungenzeka njani lokhu?” 10 UJesu wathi: “Kuza njani wena umfundisi wakwa-Israyeli kodwana ungakwazi lokhu? 11 Kwamambala ngithi kuwe, esikwaziko siyakukhuluma nesikubonileko sifakaza ngakho kodwana anibamukeli ubufakazi esibunikelako. 12 Nangabe anikholwa nanginitjela izinto zephasi, nizokukholwa njani nanginitjela izinto zezulwini? 13 Ngaphezu kwalokho, akunamuntu owakhuphukela ezulwini+ ngaphandle kwaloyo owehla ezulwini,+ iNdodana yomuntu. 14 Godu njengombana uMosi aphakamisa inyoka emmangweni+ neNdodana yomuntu kufuze iphakanyiswe+ 15 bona woke umuntu okholwa kiyo abe nokuphila okungapheliko.+
16 “Ngombana uZimu walithanda khulu iphasi kangangobana wanikela ngeNdodanakhe ebelethwe yodwa+ bonyana woke umuntu otjengisa ukukholwa kiyo angabhujiswa kodwana abe nokuphila okungapheliko.+ 17 UZimu azange athumele iNdodanakhe ephasini bona izokwahlulela iphasi kodwana bona iphasi lisindiswe ngayo.+ 18 Loyo otjengisa ukukholwa kiyo angekhe ahlulelwe.+ Loyo ongatjengisi ukukholwa kiyo sekahlulelwe ngombana akakatjengisi ukukholwa egameni leNdodana kaZimu ebelethwe yodwa.+ 19 Nje-ke nasi isisekelo sesahlulelo: kukuthi ukukhanya kuzile ephasini+ kodwana abantu bathande ubumnyama kunokukhanya ngombana imisebenzabo beyimimbi. 20 Ngebanga lokuthi loyo owenza izinto ezonakeleko uyakuzonda ukukhanya begodu akezi ekukhanyeni bona imisebenzakhe ingavezwa.* 21 Kodwana loyo owenza okuliqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni+ ukuthi imisebenzakhe ibonakaliswe ukuthi yenziwe ngokuvumelana noZimu.”
22 Ngemva kwalokho uJesu nabafundi bakhe baya eendaweni ezisemaphandleni zeJudiya, wahlala nabo lapho isikhathi esithileko, abhabhadisa.+ 23 Kodwana noJwanisi bekabhabhadisa e-Ayinoni eduze kweSalima ngombana bekunamanzi amanengi lapho,+ nabantu bebasolo beza, babhajadiswa+ 24 ngombana uJwanisi bebangakamvaleli ngejele.+
25 Abafundi bakaJwanisi baphikisana nomJuda othileko malungana nokuhlambulula. 26 Yeke baya kuJwanisi bathi kuye: “Rabi, umuntu loya obekanawe ngaphetjheya kweJordani, loya owafakaza ngaye,+ uyabhabhadisa begodu boke abantu baya kuye.” 27 UJwanisi waphendula wathi: “Umuntu angekhe afumane nento yinye tere ngaphandle kokuthi anikelwe yona ivela ezulwini. 28 Nani ngokwenu nibofakazi bokuthi ngathi, ‘AngisinguKrestu+ kodwana ngithunyelwe ngaphambi kwakhe.’+ 29 Loyo onomakoti, mkhwenyana.+ Kodwana umngani womkhwenyana nakajama eduze kwakhe amuzwe, uthaba khulu ngokuzwa iphimbo lakhe. Nje-ke ithabo lami liphelelisiwe. 30 Yena kufuze akhule kodwana mina nginciphe.”
31 Loyo ovela phezulu,+ ungaphezu kwabo boke abanye. Loyo ovela ephasini uvela ephasini begodu ukhuluma izinto zephasi. Loyo ovela ezulwini, ungaphezu kwabo boke abanye.+ 32 Ufakaza ngezinto azibonileko nazizwileko+ kodwana akunamuntu owamukela ubufakazi bakhe.+ 33 Nanyana ngubani owamukele ubufakazi bakhe uqinisekisile ukuthi uZimu uneqiniso.+ 34 Ngombana loyo othunywe nguZimu+ ukhuluma amezwi kaZimu ngombana uZimu akadimani ngommoya ocwengileko.* 35 UBaba uyayithanda iNdodana+ begodu unikele zoke izinto esandleni sayo.+ 36 Loyo otjengisa ukukholwa eNdodaneni unokuphila okungapheliko;+ loyo ongalaleli iNdodana angekhe akubona ukuphila+ kodwana ilaka lakaZimu lizokuhlala liphezu kwakhe.+