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UJesu Ufundisa UNikhodimasi
1 Kwakulendoda engumFarisi eyayithiwa nguNikhodimasi, ililunga lomphakathi wamaJuda abusayo. 2 Yaya kuJesu ebusuku yathi, “Rabi, siyazi ukuthi ungumfundisi ovela kuNkulunkulu. Ngoba kakho obengayenza imimangaliso oyenzayo wena nxa uNkulunkulu engelaye.”
3 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi kini, akakho ozawubona umbuso kaNkulunkulu ngaphandle kokuba azalwe kutsha.”
4 UNikhodimasi wathi, “Kanti umuntu angazalwa kanjani yena esemdala na? Ngeqiniso, angazake angene ngokwesibili esiswini sikanina ukuze azalwe!”
5 UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngempela ngiqinisile ngithi, ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu azalwe ngamanzi langoMoya, angeke awungene umbuso kaNkulunkulu. 6 Inyama izala inyama, kodwa uMoya uzala umoya. 7 Ungamangaliswa yikuthi ngithi, ‘Kumele lizalwe kutsha.’ 8 Umoya uphephethela loba kungaphi lapho othanda khona. Ungakuzwa ukuvunguza kwawo, kodwa ungeke utsho ukuthi uvela ngaphi loba ukuthi uya ngaphi. Ngakho kunjalo emuntwini wonke ozelwe ngoMoya.”
9 UNikhodimasi wabuza wathi, “Lokhu kungenzeka kanjani na?”
10 UJesu wathi, “Ungumfundisi wako-Israyeli, pho kungani ungazwisisi izinto lezi na? 11 Ngiqinisile ngithi sikhuluma ngesikwaziyo njalo sifakaza ngesikubonileyo, kodwa lina bantu kalibamukeli ubufakazi bethu. 12 Ngikhulume kini ngezinto zalapha emhlabeni, kodwa kalikholwa; pho lizakholwa kanjani nxa ngingakhuluma ngokwasezulwini? 13 Kakho osewake waya ezulwini ngaphandle kwalowo owavela ezulwini, iNdodana yoMuntu. 14 NjengoMosi owaphakamisa inyoka enkangala, ngokunjalo iNdodana yoMuntu kumele iphakanyiswe, 15 ukuze kuthi lowo lalowo okholwa kuyo abe lokuphila okungapheliyo.”
16 UNkulunkulu walithanda ilizwe kangaka waze wanikela iNdodana yakhe eyiyo yodwa ukuze kuthi loba ngubani okholwa kuyo angabhubhi, kodwa abe lokuphila okungapheliyo. 17 Ngoba uNkulunkulu kathumanga iNdodana yakhe emhlabeni ukuze iwulahle umhlaba, kodwa ukuze umhlaba usindiswe ngayo. 18 Loba ngubani okholwa kuyo kalahlwa, kodwa ongakholwayo uvele uselahliwe ngoba kakholwanga ebizweni leNdodana eyiyo yodwa kaNkulunkulu. 19 Nanku ukuqunywa kwecala: Ukukhanya sekufikile emhlabeni, kodwa abantu bathanda ubumnyama kulokukhanya ngoba imisebenzi yabo yayimibi. 20 Wonke umuntu owenza ububi uyakuzonda ukukhanya, njalo kezi ekukhanyeni ngoba esesaba ukuthi izenzo zakhe zizabekwa obala. 21 Kodwa loba ngubani ophila ngeqiniso uyeza ekukhanyeni ukuze kubonakale kamhlophe ukuthi lokho akwenzileyo ukwenze ngoNkulunkulu.
Ubufakazi BukaJohane NgoJesu
22 Ngemva kwalokhu uJesu labafundi bakhe basuka baya emaphandleni aseJudiya lapho ahlala labo okwesikhathi esithile ebhaphathiza. 23 Ngalesosikhathi uJohane laye wayebhaphathiza e-Ayenoni eduze leSalimi ngoba kwakulamanzi amanengi njalo abantu babethululeka kokuphela bezobhaphathizwa. 24 (Lokhu kwakumandulo kokuphoselwa kukaJohane entolongweni.) 25 Kwavuka ukuphikisana phakathi kwabanye abafundi bakaJohane lomunye umJuda mayelana lomkhuba wokuzihlambulula. 26 Beza kuJohane bathi kuye, “Rabi, indoda leyana eyayilawe ngaphetsheya kweJodani; yona leyana owafakaza ngayo; iyabhaphathiza bonke abantu sebesiya kuyo.”
27 Waphendula uJohane wathi, “Umuntu wamukela kuphela lokho akuphiwayo kuvela ezulwini. 28 Lina ngokwenu lingakufakaza ukuthi ngathi, ‘Kangisuye uKhristu, kodwa ngithunyiwe ukumandulela.’ 29 Umtshakazi ngowomyeni. Umkhaphi womyeni uyamnakekela, amlalele, abelokuthokoza nxa esizwa ilizwi lomyeni. Lokho kuthokoza ngokwami njalo okwamanje sekuphelele. 30 Yena ufanele abemkhulu; mina kufanele kunciphe ukuqakatheka kwami.”
31 Lowo ovela phezulu ungaphezulu kwakho konke; lowo ovela emhlabeni ungowomhlaba, ukhuluma njengalowo ovela emhlabeni. Lowo ovela ezulwini ungaphezu kwakho konke. 32 Ufakaza ngalokho akubonileyo lakuzwileyo, kodwa kakho owamukela ubufakazi bakhe. 33 Lowomuntu obamukelayo usegcizelele ukuthi uNkulunkulu uqinisile. 34 Ngoba lowo uNkulunkulu amthumileyo ukhuluma amazwi kaNkulunkulu; yena uNkulunkulu umupha umoya kungelakulinganiswa. 35 UYise uyayithanda iNdodana njalo useyiphe amandla phezu kwezinto zonke. 36 Loba ngubani obeke ithemba lakhe eNdodaneni ulokuphila okungapheliyo, kodwa loba ngubani oyilahlayo iNdodana kazukuyibona leyompilo ngoba ulaka lukaNkulunkulu lohlala luphezu kwakhe.