Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”
4 “How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”
5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? 11 I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. 12 You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”
14 As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.
Jesus and John
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon, not far from Salim, because there was plenty of water in that place. People were going to him, and he was baptizing them. ( 24 This was before John had been put in prison.)
25 Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew about the matter of ritual washing. 26 So they went to John and told him, “Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!”
27 John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.”
He Who Comes from Heaven
31 He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message. 33 But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful. 34 The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.
Jesus na Nikodemus
1 Pa ri omunane Omujuda wena Nikodemus, ngwa ri owotjira tjOvafarisei. 2 Ouṱuku umwe eye we ere ku Jesus na tja: “Rabi, matu tjiwa kutja oove omuhonge ngu wa hindwa i Ndjambi. Kape nomundu ngu ma sora okutjita ovihimise mbi u tjita, Ndjambi tje he ri puna ye.”
3 Jesus arire tja ziri a tja: “Tjiri, tjiri, ami me ku raere ouatjiri, omundu tje hi nokukwatwa rukwao, kamaa sora okumuna ouhona wa Ndjambi.”
4 Nikodemus a pura a tja: “Omundu ngwa kurupa ma sora vi okukwatwa rukwao? Indu eye ma sora okuyaruka mezumo raina na pandukwa rukwao porutjavari are?”
5 Jesus wa zirire a tja: “Tjiri, tjiri, ami me ku raere ouatjiri, omundu tje hi nokukwatwa momeva na mOmbepo, kamaa sora okuhita mouhona wa Ndjambi. 6 Ihi tji tja kwatwa momundu otjo omundu, nu tji tja kwatwa mOmbepo otjo ombepo. 7 Okumwa, tji me ku raere kutja eṋe amuhe mamu sokukwatwa rukwao. 8 Ombepo i hinga ku mai vanga. Ove mo zuu ombosiro yayo, nungwari ko nokutjiwa kutja mai zu pi nu mai i pi. Otjinga ape ri nao wina na ngamwa auhe ngu ma kwatwa mOmbepo.”
9 Nikodemus wa purire a tja: “Oviṋa mbi mavi sora okutjitwa vi?”
10 Jesus arire tja ziri a tja: “Oove omuhonge omutjiukwa mOisrael, noviṋa mbi ko vi i are? 11 Tjiri, tjiri, ami me ku raere ouatjiri, eṱe tu hungira imbi mbi matu tjiwa, nu tu hongonona imbi mbi twa munu, nungwari eṋe kamu vanga okuyakura omahongononeno wetu. 12 Ami tji mbe mu serekarerere oviṋa vyouye mbwi, eṋe kamaamu kambura mu ami, nu mamu kambura vi mu ami tji mbe mu serekarerere imbi ovyeyuru? 13 Kape nomundu ngwa rorere okuronda keyuru posi yOmuna wOmundu. Eye porwe ongwa zire keyuru.”
14 “Nu Moses otja punga a turikire onyoka yongoporo kotjihenḓe mokuti onguza, Omuna wOmundu wina opunga ama turikwa nao, 15 kokutja auhe ngu ma kambura mu ye a kare nomuinyo waaruhe. 16 Orondu Ndjambi wa suverere ouye tjinene nai nga tja yandja Omuna we omukwatwa erike, kokutja auhe ngu ma kambura mu ye a ha pandjara, nungwari a kare nomuinyo waaruhe. 17 Ndjambi ka hindire Omuna we kouye okuyekuupangura, nungwari we mu hindira kutja ouye u yamwe i ye.
18 “Ingwi ngwa kambura mOmuna ke nokupangurwa, nungwari ingwi ngu hi nokukambura, eye wa pangurwa rukuru, tjinga e ha kamburire mOmuna wa Ndjambi omukwatwa erike. 19 Nombanguriro ya Ndjambi i ri nai: Eye wa hinda Ondjerera ye mouye, nungwari imba ovandu ave suvere onḓorera okukapita Ondjerera, ozondjito zawo tjinga aze ri zouvi. 20 Omundu auhe ngu tjita ouvi wa tonda ondjerera, nu kemee ya kondjerera, tjinga e ha vanga kutja ozondjito ze zouvi ze horoke. 21 Nungwari auhe ngu tjita ouatjiri, eye meya kondjerera, kokutja ondjerera i raise kutja ozondjito ze za tjitwa monḓuviro ku Ndjambi.”
Jesus na Johanes
22 Kombunda yoviṋa mbi, Jesus novahongewa ve va ire korukondwa rwa Judea, neye wa kakara ngo puna wo na papitisa ovandu. 23 Johanes wina aa papitisire mOenon, popezu na Salim, tjinga apa ri omeva omengi. Ovandu aave ya ku ye, neye e ve papitisa. 24 Oviṋa mbi vya tjitwa, Johanes ngunda e hiya yumbwa motjovakamburwa.
25 Ovahongewa tjiva va Johanes nOmujuda umwe va uta okupatasanena otjiṋa tjomerikohororero. 26 Owo opu va ira ku Johanes ave katja nai: “Muhonge, ove mo tjiwa omundu ngwi ngwa ri puna ove munda mbwina na Jordan, ingwi ngu wa hongonona are? Tara, eye nambano ma papitisa wina, novandu avehe mave i ku ye!”
27 Johanes wa zirire a tja: “Omundu kamaa kara notjiṋa tjinangara eye ke tji perwe i Ndjambi. 28 Eṋe oveni oweṋe ovahongonone vandje indu tji mba tja: ‘Ami hiwami Omutwirisiwa, nungwari mba hindwa komurungu we.’ 29 Omuvareke onguri omuini womuvarekwa, nungwari epanga romuvareke nda kurama mbo amari puratene, oro mari nyanda omutima tjinene tji ra zuu eraka romuvareke. Ami opu mba zu okukara nondjoroka onene tjinene. 30 Onḓengu ye ngai kure, nu indji oyandje i yaruke kehi.”
31 Ingwi ngu ma zire kombanda, eye omunene pu avehe. Nu ngu ma zu mouye, eye owouye nu u hungira ovyouye. Nungwari ingwi ngu ma zu keyuru, eye u ri kombanda yaavehe. 32 Eye u serekarera ihi tja munu nu tja zuu, nungwari kape na ngu yakura ombuze ye. 33 Nu ngu ma yakura ombuze ye, okutja nao wa zikamisa kutja Ndjambi omunauatjiri. 34 Ingwi ngwa hindwa i Ndjambi u hungira omambo wa Ndjambi, Ndjambi tjinga ame mu pe Ombepo ye okuura. 35 Ihe wa suvera Omuna we, notja yandja avihe momake we. 36 Auhe ngwa kambura mOmuna, u nomuinyo waaruhe; nu auhe ngu hi nonḓuviro kOmuna, kamaa munu omuinyo, nungwari omberero ya Ndjambi mai kara kombanda ye.
