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