NgokukaJohane 1:1-51
1 Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, + uLizwi wayenoNkulunkulu, + futhi uLizwi wayewunkulunkulu. *+
2 Ekuqaleni lona wayenoNkulunkulu.
3 Zonke izinto zaba khona ngaye, + ayikho neyodwa into eyaba khona ngaphandle kwakhe.
Ukuphila
4 kwaba khona ngaye futhi ukuphila kwakuwukukhanya kubantu. +
5 Ukukhanya kuyakhanya ebumnyameni, + kodwa ubumnyama abukwazanga ukukuhlula.
6 Kwavela umuntu owayethunywe njengommeleli kaNkulunkulu; igama lakhe kwakunguJohane. +
7 Lo muntu weza njengofakazi ukuze afakaze ngokukhanya, + ukuze abantu bazo zonke izinhlobo bakholwe ngaye.
8 Wayengekhona lokho kukhanya, + kodwa inhloso yayiwukuba afakaze ngakho.
9 Ukukhanya kweqiniso okunika zonke izinhlobo zabantu ukukhanya kwase kuzofika ezweni. +
10 Wayekhona* ezweni, + futhi izwe laba khona ngaye, + kodwa izwe alizange limazi.
11 Wafika endaweni yakubo, kodwa abantu bakubo abazange bamamukele.
12 Nokho, bonke abamamukela, wabanika igunya lokuba ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, + ngoba babenokholo egameni lakhe. +
13 Abazalwanga ngegazi noma ngentando engokwenyama noma ngentando yomuntu kodwa bazalwa nguNkulunkulu. +
14 Ngakho uLizwi waba yinyama *+ wahlala phakathi kwethu, sayibona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo enjengeyendodana ezelwe yodwa + kuyise; wayegcwele umusa kaNkulunkulu* neqiniso.
15 (UJohane wafakaza ngaye, yebo, wamemeza: “Lo nguye engathi ngaye, ‘Lowo oza emva kwami uvele ngaphambi kwami, ngoba waba khona kuqala kunami.’ ”) +
16 Ngoba sonke samukela kokuvela ekugcwaleni kwakhe, yebo, ngisho nomusa omkhulu phezu komusa omkhulu.
17 UMthetho wanikezwa ngoMose, + umusa omkhulu + neqiniso kwaba khona ngoJesu Kristu. +
18 Akekho umuntu oye wabona uNkulunkulu noma nini; + unkulunkulu ozelwe yedwa + oseceleni kukaBaba *+ nguye oye wamchaza. +
19 Lobu ubufakazi obanikezwa nguJohane lapho amaJuda ethumela kuye abapristi namaLevi bevela eJerusalema ukuba bambuze: “Ungubani wena?” +
20 Wavuma akazange aphike, wathi: “Angiyena uKristu.”
21 Bambuza: “Khona-ke, ungubani? Ingabe ungu-Eliya?” + Wathi: “Angiyena.” “UngumProfethi?” + Waphendula: “Cha!”
22 Ngakho-ke bathi kuye: “Ungubani? Sitshele ukuze siphendule labo abasithumile. Uzibiza ngokuthini wena?”
23 Wathi: “Mina ngiyizwi lothile omemeza ehlane ethi, ‘Yenzani indlela kaJehova* iqonde,’ + njengoba nje umprofethi u-Isaya asho.” +
24 Abathunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi.
25 Ngakho bambuza: “Pho kungani ubhapathiza uma ungeyena uKristu noma u-Eliya noma umProfethi?”
26 UJohane wabaphendula, wathi: “Mina ngibhapathiza ngamanzi. Kukhona eningamazi omi phakathi kwenu,
27 lowo oza emva kwami, engingakufanelekeli ukuqaqa amabhande ezimbadada zakhe.” +
28 Lezi zinto zenzeka eBhethaniya ngaphesheya kweJordani, lapho uJohane ayebhapathizela khona. +
29 Ngosuku olulandelayo wabona uJesu eza kuye, wathi: “Bhekani, iWundlu + likaNkulunkulu elisusa isono + sezwe! +
30 Lo nguye engasho ngaye ngathi: ‘Emva kwami kuza umuntu ovele ngaphambi kwami, ngoba waba khona kuqala kunami.’ +
31 Ngisho nami bengingamazi, kodwa isizathu sokuba ngize ngibhapathize ngamanzi sasiwukuba abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli.” +
32 UJohane wafakaza futhi, wathi: “Ngibone umoya wehla njengejuba uvela ezulwini, wahlala phezu kwakhe. +
33 Ngisho nami bengingamazi, kodwa Yena kanye ongithume ukuba ngibhapathize ngamanzi wathi kimi: ‘Noma ubani oyobona umoya wehlela phezu kwakhe futhi uhlale kuye, + lowo nguye obhapathiza ngomoya ongcwele.’ +
34 Ngikubonile lokho, futhi ngifakazile ukuthi lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” +
35 Ngosuku olulandelayo, uJohane wayemi nabafundi bakhe ababili,
36 njengoba ebuka uJesu ehamba, wathi: “Bhekani, iWundlu + likaNkulunkulu!”
37 Lapho laba bafundi ababili bemuzwa esho lokhu, balandela uJesu.
38 UJesu waphenduka, futhi ebabona belandela, wathi kubo: “Nifunani?” Bathi kuye: “Rabi (okusho ukuthi, “Mfundisi,” uma kuhunyushwa), uhlalaphi?”
39 Wathi kubo: “Wozani, nizobona.” Ngakho bahamba babona lapho ehlala khona, futhi bahlala naye ngalolo suku; cishe kwakuyihora leshumi.*
40 U-Andreya, + umfowabo kaSimoni Petru, wayengomunye walaba ababili abezwa lokho okwashiwo uJohane base belandela uJesu.
41 Okokuqala wathola umfowabo, uSimoni, wathi kuye: “Simtholile uMesiya” + (okusho ukuthi “uKristu,” uma kuhunyushwa),
42 wamyisa kuJesu. Lapho uJesu embheka wathi: “Wena unguSimoni, + indodana kaJohane; uzobizwa ngokuthi uKhefase (okuhunyushwa ngokuthi “Petru”). +
43 Ngosuku olulandelayo uJesu wayefuna ukuhamba aye eGalile. Wabe esethola uFiliphu + wathi kuye: “Yiba umlandeli wami.”
44 UFiliphu wayengowaseBhetsayida, edolobheni lakubo ka-Andreya noPetru.
45 UFiliphu wathola uNathanayeli + wathi kuye: “Simtholile lowo uMose kanye nabaProfethi ababhala ngaye eMthethweni: uJesu, indodana kaJosefa, + waseNazaretha.”
46 Kodwa uNathanayeli wathi kuye: “Kukhona yini okuhle okungaphuma eNazaretha?” UFiliphu wathi kuye: “Woza ubone.”
47 UJesu wabona uNathanayeli eza ngakuye wathi ngaye: “Bheka, umIsrayeli weqiniso okungekho nkohliso kuye.” +
48 UNathanayeli wathi kuye: “Ungazi kanjani?” UJesu wamphendula wathi: “Ngikubone ngaphambi kokuba uFiliphu akubize, ngesikhathi uphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwane.”
49 UNathanayeli wathi kuye: “Rabi, wena uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uyiNkosi yakwa-Israyeli.” +
50 UJesu waphendula wathi: “Ukholwa ngoba ngikutshele ukuthi ngikubone ungaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwane? Uzobona izinto ezinkulu kunalezi.”
51 Wabe esethi kuye: “Ngiqinisile impela ngithi kini madoda, nizobona izulu livulekile nezingelosi zikaNkulunkulu zehla zenyuka ziza eNdodaneni yomuntu.” +
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Noma, “wayengowasezulwini.”
^ Kubhekiselwa kuLizwi.
^ Noma, “umuntu.”
^ Noma, “umusa ongafanelwe.”
^ Noma, “osesifubeni sikaBaba.” Lokhu kubhekisela ebuhlotsheni obukhethekile.
^ Bheka iSithasiselo A5.
^ Okuwukuthi, cishe ngo-4:00 ntambama.
