The Word of Life
1 In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.
2 From the very beginning
the Word was with God.
3 And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4 received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
5 The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.
6 God sent a man named John,
7 who came to tell
about the light
and to lead all people
to have faith.
8 John wasn't this light.
He came only to tell
about the light.
9 The true light that shines
on everyone
was coming into the world.
10 The Word was in the world,
but no one knew him,
though God had made the world
with his Word.
11 He came into his own world,
but his own nation
did not welcome him.
12 Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
13 They were not God's children
by nature or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children.
14 The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.
From him the complete gifts
of undeserved grace and truth
have come down to us.
15 John spoke about him and shouted, “This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.”
16 Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. 17 The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
John the Baptist Tells about Jesus
(Matthew 3.1-12Mark 1.1-8Luke 3.15-17)19-20 The religious authorities in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said “No!”
22 Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”
23 John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’ ”
24 Some Pharisees had also been sent to John. 25 They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
26 John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know. 27 Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.” 28 John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come, who is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” 31 I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.
32 I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. 33 Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Here is the Lamb of God!” 37 John's two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?”
They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”
39 Jesus replied, “Come and see!” It was already about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.
40 One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” The Hebrew word “Messiah” means the same as the Greek word “Christ.”
42 Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas.” This name can be translated as “Peter.”
Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael
43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, “Follow me.”
45 Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51 I tell you for certain you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”
Ohapu yomwenyo
1 Ohapu oya li ko, manga uuyuni inaau shitwa. Ohapu oya li Kalunga nOhapu oya li Kalunga. 2 Okuza ketamekolela Ohapu oya li puKalunga. 3 Kalunga okwe mu shititha iinima ayihe, nokaku na nando oshinima shimwe shomeshito inaashi shitwa kee po. 4 Ohapu oya li yi na omwenyo, nomwenyo ogwa ningi uuyelele waantu. 5 Uuyelele mbuka owa minikile momilema, nomilema inadhi u dhima po.
6 Okwa li ku na omulumentu a tumwa kuKalunga, edhina lye Johannes. 7 Oye okwe ya, a hokololele aantu uuyelele, opo ayehe yi itaalithwe kuye. 8 Haye mwene a li uuyelele, ihe okwe ya, a hokolole uuyelele. 9 Uuyelele mbuka washili otau ya muuyuni, u minikile omuntu kehe.
10 Ohapu okwa li muuyuni, naKalunga okwe mu shititha uuyuni, ihe uuyuni inau mu dhimbulula. 11 Oye okwe ya kumboka yaandjawo, naamboka yaandjawo inaye mu taamba. 12 Ihe ayehe mboka ye mu taamba noye mu itaale, okwe ya pe oonkondo, ya ninge aana yaKalunga. 13 Oyo inaa valwa pamukalo gwopanshitwe, nokutya kaye shi oluvalo lwomuntu, ihe oya valwa muKalunga.
14 Ohapu nokwa ningi omuntu nokwa kala mokati ketu. Otse otwa tala eadhimo lye, eadhimo lyomuvalwa awike gwaHe. Oye okwa li u udha esilohenda noshili.
15 Johannes okwe mu hokolola nokwi igidha a ti: “Nguka oye naanaa ngoka nde mu popile nda ti: ‘Ngoka te ya konima yandje, okwa li ndje komeho, oshoka okwa li ko, manga ngame nda li ndaa ko.’ ”
16 Nomowindji wesilohenda lye tseni atuheni otwa pewa mo esilohenda lya gwedhele kesilohenda. 17 Oshoka ompango Kalunga okwe yi gandja ya pitile muMoses, ihe esilohenda noshili oye etwa kuJesus Kristus. 18 Kaku na omuntu a mono Kalunga nando olumwe, ihe Kalunga Omuvalwa awike ngoka e li puHe, oye e mu holola.
Ehokololo lyaJohannes Omushashi
(Mat. 3:1-12Mrk. 1:1-8Luk. 3:1-18)19 Ndika olyo ehokololo lyaJohannes, Aajuda yomuJerusalem sho ya tumu kuye aayambi nAalevi oku mu pula: “Ongoye lye?”
20 Johannes ina tinda okuyamukula, ihe okwa hempulula sha yela a ti: “Hangame Kristus.”
21 Oyo noye mu pula: “Ongoye lye ano? Ongoye Elia?”
Oye okwa ti: “Aawe, hangame!”
“Ongoye omuhunganeki?”
Oye okwa yamukula. “Aawe.”
22 Oyo noya ti kuye: “Ongoye lye ano, opo tu fale eyamukulo kumboka ye tu tumu. Ngoye oto itile ngiini?”
23 Johannes okwa yamukula noohapu dhomuhunganeki Jesaja a ti:
“Ongame ewi lyanakwiigidha mombuga tali ti:
‘Yelekanithileni Omuwa ondjila.’ ”
24 Aatumwa mboka oya li yomaafarisayi. 25 Oyo noya pula Johannes ya ti: “Omolwashike ano to shasha, ngele hangoye Kristus nenge Elia nenge omuhunganeki?”
26 Johannes okwe ya yamukula a ti: “Ngame otandi mu shasha nomeya, ihe mokati keni omwa thikama ngoka ne kaamu mu shi. 27 Ngoka te ya konima yandje, oye tuu ngoka inaandi gwana okudhitula omiya dhoongaku dhe.”
28 Iinima mbika oya ningilwa muBetania handiyaka yomulonga gwaJordan, nkoka Johannes a li ta shasha aantu.
Onzigona yaKalunga
29 Esiku lya landula Johannes okwa mono Jesus te ya kuye nokwa ti: “Tala, Onzigona yaKalunga, tayi kutha po oondjo dhuuyuni! 30 Ngoka oye naanaa ngoka nde mu popile nda ti: ‘Omulumentu te ya konima yandje, oye omunene, oshoka okwa li ko, manga ngame nda li ndaa ko.’ 31 Ngame onda li kaandi mu shi, ihe onde ya okushasha nomeya, opo a tseyithilwe Aaisraeli.”
32 Johannes okwe mu hokolola a ti: “Onda mono Ombepo ya kuluka megulu ya fa onguti noye mu lambele. 33 Ngame nonda li kaandi mu shi, ihe Kalunga, ngoka a tumu ndje okushasha nomeya, okwa lombwele ndje a ti: ‘Ngoka to mu mono ta lambelwa kOmbepo notayi kala kombanda ye, oye ngoka ta shasha nOmbepo Ondjapuki.’ 34 Ngame onde shi mono notandi mu hokololele nokutya oye Omuna gwaKalunga.”
Aalongwa yaJesus yotango
35 Esiku lya landula Johannes okwa li ko ishewe a thikama nayaali yomaalongwa ye. 36 Johannes sho a mono Jesus te ende po, okwa ti: “Tala, Onzigona yaKalunga.”
37 Aalongwa ye yaali oye mu uvu, sho ta popi ngaaka noya landula Jesus. 38 Nena Jesus okwa punguluka nokwe ya mono, sho taye mu landula, nokwa pula: “Otamu kongo shike?”
Oyo oye mu yamukula: “Owa kala peni, Rabbi?” (Oshitya shika otashi ti “Muhongi.”)
39 Jesus okwa ti kuyo: “Ileni, mu tale!” Oyo sho ya yi naye, oya mono mpoka a kala noya kala puye oshihupe shesiku ndyoka. Otundi oya li ontine yokomatango.
40 Gumwe gwomaalongwa mbeyaka yaali mboka ya li yu uvu Johannes sho a popi noya landula Jesus, oAndreas, omumwayina gwaSimon. 41 Andreas okwa tsakaneke tangotango omumwayina Simon nokwe mu lombwele a ti: “Tse otwa mono Omugwayekwa” (Oshitya shika otashi ti “Kristus.”) 42 Ye okwa fala Simon kuJesus.
Jesus okwe mu tala nokwa ti: “Ongoye Simon yaJohannes; oto ki ithanwa Kefas,” (kokutya Petrus ndyoka tali ti “emanya”.)
Jesus ti ithana Filippus naNatanael
43 Esiku lya landula Jesus okwa li a hala okuya kuGalilea. Okwa tsakaneke Filippus nokwa ti kuye: “Landula ndje.” 44 Filippus okwa li Omubetsaida, oshilando moka Andreas naPetrus ya kala mo. 45 Filippus okwa tsakaneke Natanael nokwa ti kuye: “Tse otwa mono omulumentu ngoka a nyolwa kuMoses membo lyompango nokaahunganeki. Oye Jesus, omuna gwaJosef Omunasareti.”
46 Natanael okwe mu pula a ti: “MuNasaret otamu vulu tuu okuza uuwanawa washa?”
Filippus okwe mu lombwele. “Ila, u tale!”
47 Jesus okwa mono Natanael te ya kuye nokwe mu popi a ti: “Tala, Omwiisraeli gwashili, ngoka kee na nando iifundja!”
48 Natanael okwe mu pula a ti: “Owa tseya ndje ngiini?”
Jesus okwa ti: “Onde ku mono, sho wa li momukwiyu, manga Filippus inee ku ithana.”
49 Natanael okwe mu yamukula a ti: “Muhongi, ongoye Omuna gwaKalunga! Ongoye Omukwaniilwa gwAaisraeli!”
50 Jesus okwe mu yamukula a ti: “Ngoye ndishi owi itaale owala, sho nde ku lombwele kutya onde ku mono, sho wa li momukwiyu? Oto ka mona iinima iinene yi vule mbika.” 51 Jesus okwa ti kuyo: “Ngame otandi mu lombwele oshili: Otamu ka mona egulu lye eguluka, naayengeli yaKalunga taa londo notaa kulukile kOmuna gwOmuntu.”
