1 Ekuqaleni, kungekadalwa, wayeselekho uLizwi. ULizwi lo wayekunye noThixo, naye ngokwakhe enguThixo.
2 Yena wayekunye noThixo kwasekuqalekeni.
3 Izinto zonke zadalwa ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe akubangakho nto idaliweyo. Indalo yonke
4 yaba nobomi ngaye, baza obo bomi baba lukhanyiso eluntwini.
5 Olu khanyiso lukhanya ebumnyameni; kwaye ubumnyama abuzange bukoyise ukukhanya kwalo.
6 UThixo wathuma mntu uthile, ogama linguYohane.
7 Yena weza kungqina, engqinela ukukhanya, ukuze bonke bakholwe ngenxa yobungqina bakhe.
8 Yena uYohane ngokwakhe wayengelulo ukhanyiso, koko weza kungqina ngalo.
9 Lowo ulukhanyiso lwenene olukhanyisela wonke umntu, wayesiza ehlabathini.
10 Wafika ke yena ehlabathini; kanti, nangona ihlabathi labakho ngaye nje, alimqondanga.
11 Weza kwelakowabo, aza amawabo akamamkela.
12 Kodwa bonke abâmamkeláyo, bezinikele kuye ngokupheleleyo, wabanika igunya lokuba ngabantwana bakaThixo.
13 Ababanga ngabantwana bakaThixo ngokuzalwa bengabomlibo othile, okanye ngokuzalwa ngendlela yemvelo; nguThixo ngokwakhe obazeleyo.
14 ULizwi ke waba ngumntu, waza wahlala phakathi kwethu. Sabubukela ubungangamsha bakhe awabunikwa nguYise, njengoko ekukuphela koNyana wakhe; ubungangamsha ke obuphuphuma ububele nenyaniso.
15 UYohane wangqina ngoLizwi; wavakalisa esithi: “Lo ngulowo bendithetha ngaye xa bendisithi: ‘Lowo uza emva kwam mkhulu kunam, kuba wayeselekho ndingekabikho mna.’ ”
16 Ngokuphuphuma kobubele bukaLizwi, thina sonke saphiwa iintsikelelo ezingenasiphelo.
17 Nakuba uThixo wasinika umthetho ngoMosis, ubabalo nenyaniso wasinika ngoYesu Krestu.
18 Akukho namnye umntu owakha wambona uThixo. Abantu bamazi uThixo ngokumaziswa nguNyana okukuphela kwakhe, yena okwanguThixo, ohlala ehleli esenyongweni kuYise.
19 Nabu ke ubungqina bukaYohane, oko amaJuda aseJerusalem athumela ababingeleli *nabaLevi kuye, okokuba ambuze athi: “Ungubani na?”
20 Watsho ngokuphandle, engafihlisi, wathi: “Mna andinguye *uKrestu.”
21 Bambuza besithi: “Ungubani ke? Ngaba unguEliya?”Yena wathi: “Hayi andinguye.”Bona bathi: “Ngaba unguye laa Mshumayeli?”Waphendula wathi: “Hayi, andinguye.”
22 Ke ngoko bathi kuye: “Sixelele okokuba ungubani na, ukuze sibe nokubaphendula abo basithumileyo. Ngaba uthini na wena ngawe ngokwakho?”
23 Waphendula uYohane, ecaphula kumazwi *omshumayeli uIsaya, esithi:“Mna ndililizwi lodandulukayo entlango, lisithi:‘Yilungiseleleni indlela iNkosi.’ ”
24 Kwakukho nababethunywe *ngabaFarasi.
25 Bona bambuza uYohane besithi: “Ungáthini ke ukubhaptiza, ungenguye uKrestu, okanye uEliya, okanye laa Mshumayeli?”
26 Wabaphendula uYohane wathi: “Mna ndinibhaptiza ngamanzi. Kambe ke phakathi kwenu kumi eningamaziyo.
27 Yena uza emva kwam, kodwa mna andifanele kukhulula nomtya lo wezihlangu zakhe.”
28 Oku kwênzeka eBhetani, ngaphesheya kweJordan, apho uYohane wayebhaptiza khona.
29 Ngengomso uYohane wabona uYesu esiza kuye, wathi: “Nâlo ixhwane likaThixo lokungxengxezela isono sehlabathi.
30 Nguye lo bendixela yena xa bendisithi: ‘Emva kwam kuza umntu omkhulu kunam, kuba wayekho ndingekabikho mna.’
31 Nam ngokwam bendingamazi; koko ndize kubhaptiza ngamanzi ngenjongo yokuba ndimazise kubantu bakwaSirayeli.”
32 UYohane wangqina esithi: “Ndibone uMoya oyiNgcwele esihla enjengehobe, evela ezulwini, waza wahlala phezu kwakhe.
33 Ke nam bendingamazi, kodwa lowo wandithumayo ukuba ndibhaptize ngamanzi, nguye owathi kum: ‘Lowo ùbone uMoya esihla phezu kwakhe, ahlale kuye, nguye obhaptiza ngoMoya oyiNgcwele.’
34 Ke mna, ndikubonile nje oku, ndiyangqina okokuba lo nguye uNyana kaThixo.”
35 Ngengomso uYohane wayelapho kwakhona, enababini kubafundi bakhe.
36 Waza wabona uYesu edlula apho, wathi: “Nâlo ixhwane likaThixo lokungxengxezelela isono.”
37 Abafundi abo bamva esitsho, baza bamlandela uYesu.
38 Akubheka uYesu, wabona ukuba bayamlandela, waza wathi kubo “Ngaba nifuna ntoni na?”Baza bathi kuye: “Mfundisi, uhlala phi na?”
39 Wathi kubo: “Yizani, nibone.” Bahamba kunye naye ke, bayibona indawo awayehlala kuyo, baza bahlala naye loo mini. Ixesha lalimalunga nentsimbi yesine emva kwemini.
40 YayinguAndreya, umntakwabo-Simon Petros, omnye wâbo bafundi babini beva ngoYohane, baza bamlandela uYesu.
41 Kwangoko uAndreya wabona umntakwabo uSimon, wathi kuye: “Simfumene uMesiya.” (Oko kukuthi “*uKrestu.”)
42 Wamsa kuYesu ke; waza uYesu wamjonga, wathi: “Wena unguSimon, unyana kaYohane. Igama lakho loba *nguKefas.” (Oko kukuthi “Lwalwa.”)
43 Ngengomso uYesu wabona ukuba makaye eGalili; waza wadibana noFilipu, wathi kuye: “Ndilandele.”
44 Ke uFilipu wayengowaseBhetesayida, idolophu yakuloAndreya noPetros.
45 UFilipu wadibana noNataniyeli, wathi kuye: “Simbonile lowo uMosis wabhala ngaye *emthethweni, ekwâbhalwa ngaye *nangabashumayeli. NguYesu, unyana kaJosefu waseNazarete.”
46 UNataniyeli wathi kuye: “Uthini! Kungákho nto ilungileyo inokuphuma eNazarete?”UFilipu wathi kuye: “Yiza, uzibonele.”
47 UYesu akumbona uNataniyeli esiza kuye, wathi ngaye: “Ngenene nanko umSirayeli ekungekho nkohliso kuye.”
48 UNataniyeli wathi kuye: “Ùndazela phi na?”UYesu wamphendula wathi: “Wena ndakubona usephantsi komkhiwane, engekakubizi uFilipu.”
49 UNataniyeli wamphendula wathi: “Mfundisi, inene unguNyana kaThixo; unguKumkani wakwaSirayeli.”
50 UYesu wathi kuye: “Ùkholwa ngokuba ndithe kuwe ndikuboné uphantsi komkhiwane? Uya kubona izinto ezingaphezulu lee kunezi.”
51 Wahambisa wathi kuye: “Ndithi kuni, inene, niya kulibona izulu livulekile, nezithunywa zikaThixo zinyuka zisihla phezu kwakhe *uNyana woLuntu.”