UJesu noNikhodemusi
1Bekukhona ebaFarisini umuntu ekuthiwa nguNikhodemusi, yena ubesikhulu samaJuda. 2Langelinye ebusuku weza kuJesu wafese wathi: “Rabi, siyazi bona umfundisi othunywe nguZimu ngombana akakho noyedwa ongenza iimangaliso ozenzakwezi ngaphandle kobana uZimu abe naye.”
3UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Kwamambala ngiqinisile ngithi: Akakho noyedwa ozakubona umbuso kaZimu ngaphandle kobanyana abelethwe butjha.”
4UNikhodemusi wambuza wathi: “Umuntu omdala angabelethwa njani butjha na? Kghani angabuyela ngesiswini sakanina abelethwe kwesibili?”
5UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Kwamambala ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: Akakho noyedwa ozakungena embusweni kaZimu ngaphandle kobana abelethwe ngamanzi nangoMoya. 6Okubelethwe yinyama kuyinyama, nalokho okubelethwe nguMoya kumumoya. 7Ungarareki ngombana ngithe kuwe kufanele ubelethwe butjha. 8Ummoya uvunguza ngapha ufuna ngakhona; uzwa ukuphephetha kwawo, kodwana awazi lapha uvela khona nalapha uya khona. Kunjalo kiloyo naloyo obelethwa nguMoya.”
9UNikhodemusi wabuza wathi: “Lokhu kungenzeka njani na?”
10UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Wena umfundisi wakwa-Israyeli, kodwana awukwazi lokhu na? 11Kwamambala ngiqinisile ngithi kuwe: Sifakaza ngalokho esikwaziko, sibike lokho esikubonileko, khonapho nina bantu anamukeli ubufakazi bethu. 12Ngikhulume nani mayelana nezinto zephaseli kodwana anikholwa; alo-ke ningakholwa njani nanginitjela ngezinto zezulwini na? 13Akakho okhe waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwaloyo owehla avela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu.
14“Njengombana uMosi waphakamisa inyoka erhalawumbeni, njalo-ke neNdodana yoMuntu kufanele iphakanyiswe, 15ukuze kuthi loyo okholwa kiyo abe nepilo engapheliko. 16Mbala uZimu walithanda kangaka iphasi, wabe wanikela ngeNdodanakhe ebelethwe yodwa, khona kuzakuthi loyo okholwa kiyo angabhubhi, kodwana abe nepilo engapheliko. 17Iye, akakathumeli iNdodanakhe bona izokugweba iphasi, kodwana kobana iphasi lisindiswe ngayo.
18“Loyo oyikholwako, akagwetjwa; kodwana loyo ongakholwako, ugwetjiwe ngombana azange akholwe eNdodaneni kaZimu ekukuphela kwayo. 19Isigwebo singilokhu: Ukukhanya kufikile ephasini, kodwana abantu bakhetha ubumnyama kunomkhanyo ngombana izenzo zabo zimbi. 20Woke umuntu owenza okumbi, uwuhloyile umkhanyo, akezi emkhanyweni ngombana wesaba bona izenzo zakhe ezimbi zizakudaluleka. 21Kodwana loyo owenza iqiniso, uyavela emkhanyweni khona kuzakubonakala bonyana izenzo zakhe zenziwe kuZimu.”
UJesu noJwanisi uMbhabhadisi
22Ngemva kwalokho uJesu nabafundi bakhe baya enarheni yeJudiya. Lapho wahlala isikhatjhana nabo, abhabhadisa. 23UJwanisi naye bekabhabhadisa nge-Ayinoni, eduze neSalima ngombana lapho bekunamanzi amanengi. Abantu beza kuye bona babhajadiswe. 24Lokhu bekungaphambi kobanyana uJwanisi avalelwe ngesikhungweni.
25Nje-ke kwaqubuka ukuphikisana ngokuhlambulula phakathi kwabafundi bakaJwanisi namaJuda. 26Baya kuJwanisi, bafika bathi: “Mfundisi, umuntu obekanawe ngaphetjheya kweJordani, ngitjho loyo ogade ufakaza ngaye, qala uyabhabhadisa, begodu boke baya kuye!”
27UJwanisi waphendula wathi: “Akakho ongaba nento ngaphandle kobanyana uZimu amuphe ivela ezulwini. 28Nani ngokwenu nibofakazi bami bona ngithe angisuye uKrestu, kodwana ngithunywe ngaphambi kwakhe. 29Onomlobokazi umyeni; kodwana umngani womkhwenyani ojama amlalele, uyathaba nakezwa ilizwi lomkhwenyani. Yeke ithabo lami seliphelele. 30Kufanele yena akhule, mina nginciphe.”
Loyo ovela ezulwini
31“Ovela ngehla, ungehla kwabo boke. Loyo ongowephasi ngewephasinapha, begodu ukhuluma ngezephasi. Kodwana loyo ovela ezulwini ungaphezu kwakho koke. 32Ufakaza lokho akubonileko nakuzwileko, kodwana akakho noyedwa owamukela ubufakazi bakhe. 33Kodwana loyo owamukela ubufakazi bakhe uqinisa bona uZimu uliqiniso. 34Loyo uZimu amthumileko ukhuluma amezwi kaZimu ngombana uZimu unikela uMoya ngokungalinganisi. 35UBaba uyayithanda iNdodanakhe begodu unikele koke esandleni sayo. 36Loyo okholwako eNdodaneni unokuphila okungapheliko; kodwana ongakholwa eNdodaneni ngekhe akubona ukuphila, kodwana uzakuhlala ngaphasi kobukhali bakaZimu.”
