ULizwi Waba Ngumuntu
1Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi. ULizwi wayekuNkulunkulu, uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu. 2Yena lowo, wayekhona ekuqaleni kuNkulunkulu. 3Konke kwavela ngaye; akukho lutho olwadalwayo kukho konke okudaliweyo, olungavelanga ngaye. 4Kuye kwakukhona ukuphila; lokhu kuphila okungukukhanya kwabantu. 5Ukukhanya kukhanya ebumnyameni, kepha ubumnyama abukwazanga ukukucima.
6Kwafika umuntu owayethunywe nguNkulunkulu, igama lakhe nguJohane. 7Wezela ukuba ngufakazi, ofakaza ngokukhanya ukuze bonke abantu bakholwe ngaye. 8Yena wayengesikho ukukhanya, kodwa wayengozofakaza ngokukhanya. 9Kwakungukukhanya kweqiniso, okukhanyisa bonke abantu, okwase kuza ezweni.
10ULizwi wayekhona ezweni. Izwe lavela ngaye, kodwa izwe alimazanga. 11Weza kokwakhe, kodwa abakhe abamemukelanga. 12Kepha bonke abamemukelayo, labo abakholwa egameni lakhe, wabapha igunya lokuba babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, 13abangazalwanga ngagazi, ngandlela yemvelo noma ngantando yendoda, kodwa bazalwa nguNkulunkulu.
14ULizwi waba ngumuntu, wahlala phakathi kwethu. Sabona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo yozelwe yedwa kuYise, egcwele umusa neqiniso.
15UJohane wafakaza ngaye, wamemeza wathi: “Lona nguye engikhulume ngaye ngathi: ‘Emva kwami kuza lowo omkhulu kunami, ngokuba wayekhona ngaphambi kwami.’ ”
16Ngokuba ekugcwaleni kwakhe, sonke samukele umusa phezu komusa. 17Umthetho wanikezwa ngoMose, umusa neqiniso kweza ngoJesu Khristu. 18Akekho osewake wabona uNkulunkulu; nguNkulunkulu, iNdodana ezelwe yodwa, esesifubeni sikaYise embonakalisile.
Ubufakazi BukaJohane UMbhabhadisi
19Lokhu kungubufakazi bukaJohane, lapho abaJuda bethumele abaphristi nabaLevi bevela eJerusalema ukuba bambuze, bathi: “Wena ungubani na?”
20Wavuma, kahlonizanga; wavuma wathi: “Angisiye uKhristu mina.”
21Bambuza bathi: “Kanti pho ungubani na? Ungu-Eliya na?”
Wathi: “Qha, angisiye.”
Bathi: “UnguMphrofethi na?”
Wathi: “Qha.”
22Base bethi kuye: “Kanti ungubani na? Ukuze sibaphendule abasithumileyo; zichaze ukuthi ungubani.”
23Wathi: “Ngiyizwi lomemeza ehlane, ethi:
“ ‘Lungisani indlela yeNkosi,
njengalokhu asho u-Izaya, umphrofethi.’ ”
24Labo ababethunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi. 25Bambuza bathi: “Pho ubhabhadiselani uma ungesiye uKhristu, noma u-Eliya noma uMphrofethi na?”
26UJohane wabaphendula, wathi: “Mina ngibhabhadisa ngamanzi, kepha kumi phakathi kwenu eningamaziyo. 27Lo ozayo emuva kwami, angifanele ngisho nokuthukulula umchilo wezicathulo zakhe.”
28Konke lokhu kwenzeka eBhethani, ngaphesheya komfula iJordani, lapho uJohane wayebabhabhadisa khona.
IWundlu LikaNkulunkulu
29Ngakusasa uJohane wabona uJesu eza kuye, wayesethi: “Bheka, iWundlu likaNkulunkulu elisusa isono somhlaba. 30Nguye lo ebengikhuluma ngaye, ngithi: ‘Emva kwami kuza owavela ngaphambi kwami, owayekhona kuqala kunami.’ 31Nami bengingamazi, kodwa ukuze abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli, ngizile, ngibhabhadisa ngamanzi.”
32UJohane wafakaza wathi: “Ngibonile uMoya ehla njengejuba evela ezulwini; wahlala phezu kwakhe. 33Bengingamboni mina, kodwa owangithumayo ukuba ngibhabhadise ngamanzi, wathi kimi: ‘Lowo oyakubona uMoya ehla, ahlale phezu kwakhe, nguyena obhabhadisa ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ 34Ngibonile futhi ngiyafakaza, ngithi: lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.”
Abafundi Bokuqala BakaJesu
35Nangakusasa uJohane wayemi nabafundi bakhe ababili. 36Kuthe ebona uJesu edlula, wathi: “Nanti iWundlu likaNkulunkulu.”
37Abafundi ababili bamuzwa ekhuluma, base bemlandela uJesu. 38UJesu waphenduka, wababona bemlandela, wathi kubo: “Nifunani na?”
Bathi: “Rabi,” okusho ukuthi Mfundisi: “Uhlala kuphi na?”
39Wabaphendula wathi: “Wozani nibone.”
Ngakho-ke bahamba, babona lapho ehlala khona, bahlala naye ngalolo lusuku; cishe kwase kuyihora leshumi.
40U-Andreya, umfowabo kaSimoni Phethro, wayengomunye walabo ababili abathi ukumuzwa uJohane, bamlandela uJesu. 41U-Andreya waqala wafumana umfowabo uSimoni, wathi kuye: “Simtholile uMesiya,” okungukuthi uma lihunyushwa, uKhristu.
42Wamyisa kuJesu. UJesu wambheka, wathi: “Wena unguSimoni kaJona; usuzakubizwa ngokuthi uKhefase,” okusho ukuthi ngokuhunyushwa, uPhethro.
UJesu Ubiza UFiliphu NoNathaniyeli
43Ngangomuso uJesu wanquma ukuya eGalile. Wafica uFiliphu, wathi kuye: “Ngilandele.”
44UFiliphu wayedabuka eBhethsayida, umuzi okwakuhlala kuwo u-Andreya noPhethro. 45UFiliphu wafumana uNathaniyeli, wathi kuye: “Simtholile lowo uMose aloba ngaye emthethweni, kanye nabaphrofethi, uJesu waseNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.”
46UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Kukhona yini okuhle okungavela eNazaretha na?”
UFiliphu wathi: “Woza uzozibonela!”
47UJesu wambona uNathaniyeli eza kuye, wakhuluma ngaye wathi: “Nangu-ke umIsrayeli woqobo, ongenankohliso.”
48UNathaniyeli wathi kuye: “Ungazelaphi na?”
UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Ngaphambi kokuba uFiliphu akubize phansi komkhiwane, ngakubona.”
49UNathaniyeli wamphendula, wathi: “Rabi, Wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uyiNkosi ka-Israyeli.”
50UJesu wamphendula, wathi kuye: “Uyakholwa ngokuba ngithe kuwe ngakubona uphansi komkhiwane na? Uzakubona okukhulu kunalokho.”
51Wathi kuye: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: nizakubona izulu livuliwe nezingelosi zikaNkulunkulu zenyuka zehla phezu kweNdodana yomuntu.”
