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