1 Kwathi emva koko kwabakho itheko lamaJuda, waza uYesu waya eJerusalem.
2 EJerusalem kukho ichibi leegusha elibizwa ngokuba yiBhetesda ngesiHebhere. Ngakulo kukho iivaranda ezintlanu.
3 Kuzo kwakulele into eninzi yezigulane – iimfama, neziqhwala, nabafe amacala. [Zazilinde ukuzanya-zanyiswa kwamanzi,
4 kuba ngamaxesha athile sasisithi isithunywa seNkosi singene echibini apho, siwazama-zamise amanzi. Sasisithi ke isigulana esingene kuqala echibini emva kokuzanya-zanyiswa kwamanzi, siphile nakusiphi na isifo esasinaso.]
5 Ke kwakukho ndoda ithile apho, eyayiminyaka imashumi mathathu anesibhozo igula.
6 Kwathi uYesu akuyibona ilele apho, esazi nokuba selinexesha elide igula, wathi kuyo: “Uyafuna na ukuphila?”
7 Saphendula isigulane sathi: “Nkosi, andinamntu wakundifaka echibini akuba amanzi egxobhekile. Ndithi ndisazama ukungena, ndisuke ndiphangelwe ngomnye.”
8 UYesu wathi kuso: “Phakama! Thatha ukhuko lwakho, uhambe.”
9 Kwathi kwangoko waphila loo mntu, waluthatha ukhuko lwakhe, wahamba-hamba.Oku kwênzeka *ngoMhla wokuPhumla,
10 aza amaJuda athi kulowo waphiliswayo: “KungoMhla wokuPhumla namhlanje; akuvumelekanga ukuba uthwale ukhuko lwakho.”
11 Waphendula wathi: “Ondiphilisileyo uthe kum: ‘Thatha ukhuko lwakho, uhambe.’ ”
12 Ambuza athi: “Ngubani na lowo uthe kuwe: ‘Thatha ukhuko lwakho, uhambe’?”
13 Kodwa lowo waphiliswayo wayengamazi okokuba ungubani owamphilisayo, kuba kwakukho abantu abaninzi apho, noYesu wayeselemkile.
14 Kwathi emva koko uYesu waphinda wadibana naye *endlwini kaThixo, wathi: “Khangela, uphilile ngoku. Yahlukana nesono, hleze uhlelwe yinto embi kunale.”
15 Wahamba ke umntu lowo, waya kuwaxelela amaJuda ukuba nguYesu owamphilisayo.
16 Ngenxa yaloo nto ke amaJuda amchasa uYesu, kuba esenza ezi zinto ngoMhla wokuPhumla.
17 Wawaphendula ke uYesu wathi: “UBawo uyasebenza kude kube ngoku; nam ke ndiyasebenza.”
18 Oku kwabangela okokuba amaJuda afune ngakumbi ukumbulala uYesu. Wayengachithanga uMhla wawo wokuPhumla kuphela, kodwa wayezilinganise nokuzilinganisa noThixo ngokuthi uThixo unguYise.
19 Ke ngoko uYesu waziphendulela kumaJuda, wathi: “Ndithi kuni, inene, ayikho into ayenza ngegunya lakhe uNyana; kuphela wenza oko akubona kusenziwa nguYise. Oko akwenzayo uYise, naye uNyana uyakwenza;
20 kuba uYise uyamthanda uNyana, embonisa zonke izinto azenzayo. Kwaye uya kumbonisa nezenzo ezikhulu kunezi, nitsho nimangaliswe;
21 kuba kwanjengoko uYise abavusayo abafileyo, abadlise ubomi, ngokunjalo noNyana ubadlisa ubomi abo athandayo ukubadlisa.
22 Kananjalo uYise akagwebi namnye. Lonke igunya lokugweba ulinika uNyana,
23 ukuze bonke bamhlonele uNyana njengoko bamhlonelayo uYise. Lowo ke ungamhlonelanga uNyana, akamhloneli noYise owamthumayo.
24 “Ndithi kuni, inene, lowo uwevayo amazwi am, abe ekholwa kulowo undithumileyo, unobomi obungunaphakade. Yena akayi kugwetywa nokugwetywa, kuba selephumile ekufeni wangena ebomini.
25 Ndithi kuni, inene, kuza ixesha, kwaye selifikile, lokuba abasemangcwabeni balive ilizwi loNyana kaThixo, bathi abalivileyo badle ubomi.
26 UYise, umthombo odlisa ubomi, ukunike noNyana ukudlisa ubomi.
27 Kananjalo umnike negunya lokugweba, kuba yena *enguNyana woLuntu.
28 Musani ukumangaliswa kuko oku, kuba ixesha liyeza abaya kuthi ngalo bonke abasemangcwabeni balive ilizwi lakhe,
29 baphume emangcwabeni, bathi abo benze ubulungisa bavukele ebomini, bathi abo benze inkohlakalo bavukele ekugwetyweni.”
30 “Mna ngokwam andinakwenza nto. Ndigweba njengoko ndiyalelweyo, kwaye ukugweba kwam kufanelekile, kuba andinanjongo yakwenza ntando yam, koko ndenza ukuthanda kwalowo undithumileyo.
31 “Ukuba bendizingqinela ngokwam, ubungqina bam ngebuthandabuzeka.
32 Kodwa ndinomnye ongqina ngam, kwaye ndiyazi ukuba ubungqina bakhe abuthandabuzeki.
33 Senathumela kuYohane; ninabo ke ubungqina bakhe mayela nenyaniso.
34 Anditsho kuba mna ndixhomekeke ekungqinelweni ngumntu, koko nditsho ukuze nina nisindiswe.
35 UYohane wayesisibane esikhanyisayo, naza nina navuyiswa okwethutyana kukukhanyiselwa nguye.
36 Kodwa ndinabo ubungqina obungaphezulu kobo bukaYohane, kuba imisebenzi andithumileyo uBawo ukuba ndiyifeze, ezi zinto kanye ndizenzayo, ziyandingqinela ukuba ndithunywe nguBawo.
37 NoBawo ngokwakhe, yena lowo undithumileyo, ungqinile ngam, nangona nina ningazange nilive ilizwi lakhe, ningazange nimbone nokumbona.
38 Ilizwi lakhe alibanga nandawo yakuhlala kuni, kuba anikholwa kulowo amthumileyo.
39 Niyaziphengulula *iziBhalo, nizicingela okokuba ninobomi obungonaphakade ngokuzifunda; kanti zona zingqina ngam,
40 kodwa nina anifuni ukuza kum ukuze nibe nabo obo bomi.
41 “Mna andinanze kunconywa ngabantu;
42 kodwa nina niyakufuna, kuba kaloku ukumthanda uThixo akukho kuni.
43 Mna ndize ndigunyaziswe nguBawo, kodwa nina anindamkelanga. Ukuba ubani uthe weza ngelilelakhe igunya niya kumamkela!
44 Beninokuthini kakade ukukholwa njengokuba nisemva kokuncomana nje, ningakukhathalelanga ukunconywa ngulowo unguThixo yedwa?
45 Kodwa ke ze ningabi niya kumangalelwa ndim kuBawo. Ummangaleli wenu nguMosis, lowo nithembele kuye.
46 Kaloku ukuba benikwamkela okubhalwe nguMosis, ngenindamkela nam, kuba uMosis wabhala ngam.
47 Ke ukuba anikwamkeli oko wakubhalayo uMosis, beningathini kakade ukuwamkela amazwi am?”