The Word of Life
1 In the beginning the Word already existed; the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 From the very beginning the Word was with God. 3 Through him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without him. 4 The Word was the source of life, and this life brought light to people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.
6 God sent his messenger, a man named John, 7 who came to tell people about the light, so that all should hear the message and believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came to tell about the light. 9 This was the real light—the light that comes into the world and shines on all people.
10 The Word was in the world, and though God made the world through him, yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him. 12 Some, however, did receive him and believed in him; so he gave them the right to become God's children. 13 They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father.
14 The Word became a human being and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory which he received as the Father's only Son.
15 John spoke about him. He cried out, “This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘He comes after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’”
16 Out of the fullness of his grace he has blessed us all, giving us one blessing after another. 17 God gave the Law through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is the same as God and is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John the Baptist's Message
(Matthew 3.1-12Mark 1.1-8Luke 3.1-18)19 The Jewish authorities in Jerusalem sent some priests and Levites to John to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 John did not refuse to answer, but spoke out openly and clearly, saying: “I am not the Messiah.”
21 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?”
“No, I am not,” John answered.
“Are you the Prophet?” they asked.
“No,” he replied.
22 “Then tell us who you are,” they said. “We have to take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 John answered by quoting the prophet Isaiah:
“I am ‘the voice of someone shouting in the desert:
Make a straight path for the Lord to travel!’”
24 The messengers, who had been sent by the Pharisees, 25 then asked John, “If you are not the Messiah nor Elijah nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?”
26 John answered, “I baptize with water, but among you stands the one you do not know. 27 He is coming after me, but I am not good enough even to untie his sandals.”
28 All this happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “There is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me, but he is greater than I am, because he existed before I was born.’ 31 I did not know who he would be, but I came baptizing with water in order to make him known to the people of Israel.”
32 And John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down like a dove from heaven and stay on him. 33 I still did not know that he was the one, but God, who sent me to baptize with water, had said to me, ‘You will see the Spirit come down and stay on a man; he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen it,” said John, “and I tell you that he is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples, 36 when he saw Jesus walking by. “There is the Lamb of God!” he said.
37 The two disciples heard him say this and went with Jesus. 38 Jesus turned, saw them following him, and asked, “What are you looking for?”
They answered, “Where do you live, Rabbi?” (This word means “Teacher.”)
39 “Come and see,” he answered. (It was then about four o'clock in the afternoon.) So they went with him and saw where he lived, and spent the rest of that day with him.
40 One of them was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 At once he found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah.” (This word means “Christ.”) 42 Then he took Simon to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “Your name is Simon son of John, but you will be called Cephas.” (This is the same as Peter and means “a rock.”)
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come with me!” ( 44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the town where Andrew and Peter lived.) 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the book of the Law and whom the prophets also wrote about. He is Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”
46 “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” answered Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, he said about him, “Here is a real Israelite; there is nothing false in him!”
48 Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?”
Jesus answered, “I saw you when you were under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 “Teacher,” answered Nathanael, “you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus said, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree? You will see much greater things than this!” 51 And he said to them, “I am telling you the truth: you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”
Ondjovo yaalushe tai ningi omunhu
1 Pehovelo opa li Ondjovo, nOndjovo oya kala puKalunga, nOndjovo ei oya li Kalunga. 2 Oye okwa kala pehovelo puKalunga. 3 Aishe oya shitwa kuye, ndele kape na nande oshinima shimwe sha shitwa, eshi inashi shitwa muye. 4 Muye omwa kala omwenyo, nomwenyo owa kala ouyelele wovanhu. 5 Nouyelele tau minikile momulaulu, nomulaulu inau likwata nao.
6 Opwa li omunhu a tumwa kuKalunga, edina laye Johannes. 7 Ou okwe uya okuhepaulula, a hepaulule ouyelele ou, opo aveshe va itavelifwe kuye. 8 Ndele haye kwa li ouyelele, ndelenee okwe uya a hepaulule ouyelele.
9 Ouyelele ou washili, hau minikile omunhu keshe, wa hangika tau uya mounyuni. 10 Oye okwa kala mounyuni, nounyuni owa shitwa kuye, nounyuni inau mu dimbulukwa. 11 Ye okwe uya kovambulavo, ndele ava vokombulavo inave mu tambula. 12 Ndelenee aveshe ava ve mu tambula, okwe va pa eenghono, va ninge ovana vaKalunga, ava hava itavele edina laye. 13 Ovo inava dalwa mohonde, ile mehalo lombelela, ile mehalo lomulumenhu, ndelenee omuKalunga.
14 Nondjovo ya ninga omunhu. Ye okwa kala mokati ketu, ndele fye twa tala oshinge shaye, oshinge tuu osho shEwifa laxe, okwa yada efilonghenda noshili.
15 Johannes okwe mu hepaulula nokwa ingida, ta ti: “Oye tuu ou nde mu tonga nda tile: ‘ou te uya konima yange, ye okwa li komesho yange, osheshi Ye opo a li, fimbo ame ndiha li po.’ ”
16 Nomouyadi waye ofyeni atusheni twa tambula mo, efilonghenda la wedelwa kefilonghenda. 17 Osheshi omhango ya yandjwa kuMoses; efilonghenda noshili olo la etwa kuJesus Kristus. 18 Kape na ou a mona Kalunga nande; Ewifa olo la kala mekolo laXe, olo le mu holola.
Ehepaululo lotete laJohannes Omushashi
(Mat. 3:1-12Mark. 1:1-8Luk. 3:1-18)19 Ehepaululo laJohannes oleli, Ovajuda eshi va tuma kuye ovapristeli nOvalevi vomuJerusalem ve mu pule: “Oove lyelye?” 20 Ndele ye okwa hepaulula, ine likala, ndele ta ti: “Ame haame Kristus.” 21 Ndele vo ve mu pula: “Oove lyelye hano? Oove Elia?” Ye okwa tya: “Haame ou.” “Oove omuxunganeki winya?” Ye okwa tya: “Ahowe.” 22 Opo vo va tya kuye: “Oove lyelye hano, tu ka twale enyamukulo kwaava ve tu tuma. Ove mwene oto litile ngahelipi?” 23 Ye okwa tya: “Aame ondaka yomwiingidi mombuwa: ‘Yelakanifileni Omwene ondjila, ngaashi omuxunganeki Jesaja a tile.’ ”
24 Ndele ava va tumwa ovo vomOvafarisai. 25 Ndele vo ove mu pula tava ti kuye: “Oshike hano ho shashele, ove ngeenge ku fi Kristus ile Elia ile omuxunganeki winya?” 26 Opo Johannes e va nyamukula ndele ta ti: “Ohandi shashe nomeva, ndelenee mokati keni omwa kala ofika ou muhe mu shii. 27 Oye tuu ou te uya konima yange, ndele ame inandi wana okuditula omiya deenghaku daye.”
28 Ei ya ningilwa muBetania kombada yaJordan, oko Johannes kwa li ha shashele.
Ehepaululo etivali laJohannes Omushashi
29 Efiku la shikula eli ye ota mono Jesus te uya kuye, ndele ta ti: “Tala, Odjona yaKalunga tai kufa po omatimba ounyuni. 30 Oye tuu ou nde mu tonga nda tile: ‘Konima yange tape uya omulumenhu ou a li komesho yange, osheshi Ye opo a li, fimbo ame ndiha li po.’ 31 Ndele ame nda li ndihe mu shii; ndelenee opo a hololelwe Israel, onghee nde uya okushasha nomeva.” 32 Ndele Johannes okwa hepaulula ta ti: “Onda mona Omhepo ya fa onghuti ya kuluka ya dja meulu, ndele tai kala kombada yaye. 33 Ndele ame nda li ndihe mu shii, ndelenee ou a tuma nge okushasha nomeva, ye okwa lombwela nge: ‘Oye ou to mono Omhepo tai wile kombada yaye, ndele tai kala po, Oye tuu ou ta shashe nOmhepo Iyapuki.’ 34 Ndele ame nde shi mona, ndele handi hepaulula nokutya, Oye Omona waKalunga.”
Ovalongwa votete vaJesus
35 Efiku la shikula Johannes okwa li ko vali ofika pamwe novalongwa vaye vavali. 36 Ndele mokutala Jesus ou ta ende po, ye okwa tya: “Tala, Odjona yaKalunga.” 37 Novalongwa ava vavali ove mu uda eshi ta popi, ndele va shikula Jesus. 38 Ndelenee Jesus okwa punguluka, ndele eshi a mona tave mu shikula, ta ti kuvo: “Otamu kongo shike?” Ovo va tya kuye: “Rabbi,” (tashi ti: omuhongi) “owa kala peni?” 39 Oye okwa tya kuvo: “Ileni mu tale!” Ndele ova ya, ndele va mona apa a kala, ndele vo ova uhala puye efiku olo. Ndele otundi ya li po onhimulongo.
40 Andreas, omumwaina waSimon Petrus, oye umwe waava vavali va li ve shi uda kuJohannes, ndele tave mu shikula. 41 Ye okwa shakena tete namumwaina Simon, ndele ta ti kuye: “Fye otwa mona Messias, otashi ti Kristus.” 42 Ye okwe mu twala kuJesus. Jesus okwe mu tala ndele ta ti: “Oove Simon omona waJohannes; oto ka ifanwa Kefas,” otali ti: Petrus.
43 Nefiku la shikula eli, Jesus okwa fikama a ye kuGalilea; nokwa shakeneka Filippus, ndele ta ti kuye: “Shikule nge!” 44 Filippus okwa li Omubetsaida womoshilando shaAndreas naPetrus. 45 Ndele Filippus okwa hanga Natanael, ndele ta ti kuye: “Fye otwa mona ou a shangwa kuMoses momhango nokovaxunganeki, Jesus womuNasaret, omona waJosef.” 46 Opo Natanael okwa tya kuye: “MuNasaret otamu di tuu ouwa nande owasha?” Filippus okwa tya kuye: “Ila u ka tale!”
47 Opo nee Jesus okwa mona Natanael te uya kuye, ndele e mu tonga ta ti: “Tala, Omuisraeli washili ehe nekoto.” 48 Natanael okwa tya kuye: “Ove ou shii nge peni?” Jesus okwe mu nyamukula ndele ta ti: “Fimbo Filippus ine ku ifana, eshi wa li momukwiyu, onde ku mona.” 49 Natanael okwa tya kuye: “Rabbi, Oove Omona waKalunga, Oove ohamba yaIsrael.” 50 Jesus okwa nyamukula ndele ta ti kuye: “Eshi nde ku lombwela: onde ku mona momukwiyu, onghee wa itavela. Oto ka mona oinima inene i dule ei.” 51 Ndele Oye e mu lombwela: “Oshilishili handi mu lombwele: otamu ka mona eulu la yeuluka, novaengeli vaKalunga tava londo ndele tava londolokele kOmona wOmunhu.”
