UNikodemo ufundiswa nguYesu
1Kwaye kukho ke umntu wakubaFarisi, ogama linguNikodemo, umphathi wamaYuda. 2Lowo weza kuYesu ebusuku, wathi kuye, Rabhi,• siyazi ukuba ungumfundisi ovela kuThixo; kuba akukho namnye unako ukuyenza le miqondiso uyenzayo wena, ukuba uThixo akanaye. 3Waphendula uYesu wathi kuye, Inene, inene, ndithi kuwe, Ukuba akathanga umntu azalwe ngokutsha, akanakububona ubukumkani bukaThixo.
4Uthi uNikodemo kuye, Angáthini na umntu ukuzalwa emdala? Angaba nako yini na ukungena okwesibini esizalweni sonina azalwe? 5Waphendula uYesu wathi, Inene, inene, ndithi kuwe, Ukuba umntu akathanga azalwe ngamanzi nanguMoya, akanakungena ebukumkanini bukaThixo. 6Okuzelwe yinyama kuyinyama, nokuzelwe nguMoya kungumoya. 7Musa ukumangaliswa kukuba ndithe kuwe, Nimelwe kukuthi nizalwe ngokutsha. 8Umoya uphepheza apho uthanda khona, ùze usive isandi sawo, kodwa ungawazi apho úvela khona, nalapho úsinga khona: bakwanjalo bonke abazelwe nguMoya.
9Waphendula uNikodemo wathi kuye, Zingáthini na ezi zinto ukuba nokubakho?
10Waphendula uYesu wathi kuye, Wena, úngumfundisi nje wakwaSirayeli, akuzazi na ezi zinto? 11Inene, inene, ndithi kuwe, Sithetha esikwaziyo, singqine esikubonileyo; nisuke ningabamkeli ubungqina bethu. 12Ukuba ndinixelele izinto ezisemhlabeni, naza ànakholwa, nòthini na ukukholwa, ukuba ndithe ndanixelela izinto ezisemazulwini? 13Akukho namnye unyukileyo waya emazulwini, ngulowo yedwa wehla ephuma emazulwini, uNyana woMntu, lowo usemazulwini. 14Njengokuba ke uMoses wayiphakamisayo inyoka entlango (iNum. 21:9), umelwe kukuphakanyiswa ngokunjalo uNyana woMntu; 15ukuze bonke abakholwayo kuye bangatshabalali, koko babe nobomi obungunaphakade.
16Kuba wenjenje uThixo ukulithanda kwakhe ihlabathi, ude wancama uNyana wakhe okuphela kwamzeleyo, ukuze bonke abakholwayo kuye bangatshabalali, koko babe nobomi obungunaphakade. 17Kuba uThixo akamthumanga uNyana wakhe ehlabathini, ukuze aligwebe ihlabathi; wamthuma ukuze ihlabathi lisindiswe ngaye. 18Lowo ukholwayo kuye, akagwetywa; ke lowo ungakholwayo, uselegwetyiwe, ngokuba engakholwanga kwigana loNyana okuphela kwamzeleyo uThixo.
19Ke kaloku, umgwebo nguwo lo, ukuba ukhanyiso lufikile ehlabathini, baza abantu bathanda ubumnyama ngaphezu kokhanyiso; kuba imisebenzi yabo ingendawo. 20Kuba bonke abenza okubi, bayaluthiya ukhanyiso, bangezi elukhanyisweni, ukuze imisebenzi yabo ingòhlwaywa. 21Ke lowo uyenzayo inyaniso uyeza elukhanyisweni, ukuze imisebenzi yakhe ibonakalaliswe; ngokuba isetyenzelwe kuThixo.
Obunye ubungqina bukaYohane umbhaptizi
22Emveni kwezi zinto, weza uYesu nabafundi bakhe emhlabeni wakwaYuda; wakha walibala khona apho nabo; wabhaptiza. 23Waye ke noYohane ebhaptiza e-Enon, kufuphi neSalem, ngokuba amanzi abemaninzi khona apho; babesiza ke babhaptizwe. 24Kuba ebengekaphoswa entolongweni uYohane.
25Kwabakho ke imbuzwano kubafundi bakaYohane namaYuda ngokuhlanjululwa. 26Beza kuYohane, bathi kuye, Rabhi,• lowa wayenawe phesheya kweYordan, umngqinela, yabona, yena uyabhaptiza; beza kuye ke bonke.
27Waphendula uYohane wathi, Akanakwamkela nto umntu, engayinikwanga ivela emazulwini. 28Nani ngokwenu niyandingqinela ukuba ndathi, Andinguye uKristu• mna; ndathi, Ndithunyiwe phambi kwakhe. 29Lowo unomtshakazi ngumyeni; isihlobo ke somyeni, esimiyo simve, sivuya kunene ngenxa yezwi lomyeni; ngoko olu luvuyo lwam luzalisekile. 30Yena umelwe kukuthi ande, ndinciphe ke mna.
31Lowo uvela phezulu ungaphezu kwabo bonke; lowo uphuma emhlabeni ungowasemhlabeni, ethetha okwasemhlabeni. Lowo ungowasemazulwini ungaphezu kwabo bonke; 32akubonileyo ke wakuva, úyakungqina oko; akukho bani ubamkelayo ubungqina bakhe. 33Lowo ubamkeleyo ubungqina bakhe, utywine waqinisela ukuthi, uThixo uyinyaniso; 34kuba lowo ùthunywe nguThixo, uthetha amazwi kaThixo; kuba uThixo akamniki uMoya ngomlinganiselo.
35UYise uyamthanda uNyana; uzinikele zonke izinto esandleni sakhe. 36Lowo ukholwayo kuNyana, unobomi obungunaphakade; ke lowo ungamviyo uNyana, akayi kubona bomi; ingqumbo kaThixo ihleli phezu kwakhe.
