UYesu ufundisa uNikodimo
1Kwakukho inkokheli yamaJuda, egama linguNikodimo. Yona yayiyeyehlelo *labaFarasi. 2Ngabusuku buthile lo Nikodimo weza kuYesu, wathi: “Mfundisi, siyazi ukuba ungumfundisi ovela kuThixo, kuba akukho bani unako ukuyenza le miqondiso uyenzayo wena, ukuba uThixo akanaye.”
3UYesu waphendula wathi kuye: “Ndithi kuwe, inene, akukho namnye unokuxhamla ukulawulwa nguThixo, engathanga azalwe ngokutsha.”
4UNikodimo wathi kuye: “Angáthini na ukuzalwa umntu oselemdala? Kaloku akangekhe aphindele esizalweni sikanina, aze azalwe kwakhona.”
5Waphendula uYesu, wathi: “Ndithi kuwe, inene, ukuba umntu akathanga azalwe ngamanzi nanguMoya kaThixo, akanakulawulwa nguThixo. 6Okuzalwa yinyama negazi kuyinyama negazi; okuzalwa nguMoya kunguMoya. 7Sukumangaliswa kukuba ndithe kuwe: ‘Nimelwe kukuzalwa ngokutsha.’ 8Umoya uphephezela apho uthanda khona, ùsive isandi sawo, kodwa ùbe ungawazi apho úvela khona nalapho úya khona. Bakwanjalo ke bonke abazelwe nguMoya kaThixo.”
9Waphendula uNikodimo esithi: “Ingenzeka njani le nto?”
10Waphendula uYesu wathi: “Ungumfundisi omkhulu nje wakwaSirayeli, ungathini ukungazazi ezi zinto? 11Ndithi kuwe, inene, sithetha esikwaziyo, singqine esikubonileyo, kanti noko nisuka ningabamkeli ubungqina bethu. 12Ukuba ndinixelele izinto zasehlabathini naza anakholwa, nothini ke ukukholwa ndakunixelela izinto zasezulwini? 13Akukho namnye wakha wenyuka waya ezulwini, ngaphandle kwalowo wehlayo evela ezulwini, *uNyana woLuntu.
14“Njengokuba uMosis wayiphakamisayo inyoka entlango, umelwe kukuphakanyiswa kwangokunjalo naye uNyana woLuntu, 15ukuze bonke abakholwayo kuye babe nobomi obungonaphakade. 16Kaloku uThixo ihlabathi ulithande kangangokuba ude wancama uNyana okuphela kwakhe, ukuze wonke umntu ozinikele kuye ngokupheleleyo angatshabalali, koko abe nobona bomi bungenasiphelo. 17Kuba kaloku uThixo akamthumanga uNyana wakhe ehlabathini ukuze aligwebe, koko wamthuma ukuze abe nguMsindisi walo.
18“Lowo uzinikelayo kuNyana kaThixo akagwetywa; kodwa lowo ungazinikeliyo selegwetyiwe, kuba engakholwa kuNyana kaThixo okuphela kwakhe. 19Imbangi yesi sigwebo nantsi: Ukukhanya kufikile ehlabathini, baza abantu bathanda ubumnyama ngaphezu kokukhanya, kuba izenzo zabo zikhohlakele. 20Kakade wonke umenzi wenkohlakalo ukuthiyile ukukhanya. Akasondeli nokusondela ekukhanyeni, hleze izenzo zakhe zivele. 21Ke lowo ungowenyaniso uyeza ekukhanyeni, ukuze abonakale ngezenzo zakhe ukuba umthobele uThixo.”
UYohane udedela uYesu
22Emva koko uYesu nabafundi bakhe baya kummandla wakwaJuda; waza uYesu waba nexesha ekunye nabo apho, ebhaptiza. 23UYohane naye wayebhaptiza e-Enon, kufuphi neSalem, kuba amanzi ebemaninzi apho. Abantu babesiya kuye, ababhaptize. 24Ngelo xesha wayengekafakwa entolongweni.
25Abafundi bakaYohane bâphikisana nomJuda othile malunga nokuhlanjululwa. 26Baya kuYohane ke, bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, laa mntu wayekunye nawe phesheya kweJordan, lowa umngqineleyo, úyabhaptiza, kwaye baya kuye bonke abantu.”
27Waphendula uYohane wathi: “Lonke ilungelo analo umntu ulinikwa nguThixo. 28Nani ngokwenu ningandingqinela okokuba ndathi: ‘Andinguye mna *uKrestu, koko ndingothunywe ngaphambi kwakhe.’ 29Kaloku umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Ke yena umkhaphi womyeni ulindela ukufika komyeni, aze avuye kunene akuliva izwi lakhe. Ngokukwanjalo luphelele ngoku uvuyo lwam. 30Makabaluleke yena, ndinciphe mna.”
Lowo uvela ezulwini
31“Lowo uvela phezulu unewonga kunabantu bonke. Lowo uvela ehlabathini ungowasehlabathini, kwaye uthetha okwehlabathi. Lowo uvela ezulwini unewonga kunabantu bonke. 32Yena ungqina ngako oko akubonileyo nakuvileyo, kanti noko akukho bani ubamkelayo ubungqina bakhe. 33Othe wabamkela ubungqina bakhe uqinisekisa okokuba uThixo uyinyaniso. 34Kaloku ethunyiwe nje nguThixo, uthetha amazwi kaThixo, kuba uThixo umnika uMoya wakhe ngokungenamlinganiselo. 35UYise uyamthanda uNyana; zonke izinto uzinikele esandleni sakhe. 36Othe wakholwa kuNyana, unobomi obungonaphakade. Othe akamthobela uNyana, akayi kubona bomi; ingqumbo kaThixo ihlala ihleli phezu kwakhe.”
