1
Basi palikuwa na mtu mmoja wa Mafarisayo, jina lake Nikodemo, mkuu wa Wayahudi.
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
2
Huyo alimjia usiku, akamwambia, Rabi, twajua ya kuwa u mwalimu, umetoka kwa Mungu; kwa maana hakuna mtu awezaye kuzifanya ishara hizi uzifanyazo wewe, isipokuwa Mungu yu pamoja naye.
He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
3
Yesu akajibu, akamwambia, Amin, amin, nakuambia, Mtu asipozaliwa mara ya pili, hawezi kuuona ufalme wa Mungu.
Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
4
Nikodemo akamwambia, Awezaje mtu kuzaliwa, akiwa mzee? Aweza kuingia tumboni mwa mamaye mara ya pili akazaliwa?
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
5
Yesu akajibu, Amin, amin, nakuambia, Mtu asipozaliwa kwa maji na kwa Roho, hawezi kuuingia ufalme wa Mungu.
Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6
Kilichozaliwa kwa mwili ni mwili; na kilichozaliwa kwa Roho ni roho.
Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
7
Usistaajabu kwa kuwa nilikuambia, Hamna budi kuzaliwa mara ya pili.
Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’
8
Upepo huvuma upendako, na sauti yake waisikia, lakini hujui unakotoka wala unakokwenda; kadhalika na hali yake kila mtu aliyezaliwa kwa Roho.
The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9
Nikodemo akajibu, akamwambia, Yawezaje kuwa mambo haya?
“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10
Yesu akajibu, akamwambia, Je! Wewe u mwalimu wa Israeli, na mambo haya huyafahamu?
“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things?
11
Amin, amin, nakuambia kwamba, Lile tulijualo twalinena, na lile tuliloliona twalishuhudia; wala ushuhuda wetu hamwukubali.
Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
12
Ikiwa nimewaambia mambo ya duniani, wala hamsadiki, mtasadiki wapi niwaambiapo mambo ya mbinguni?
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
13
Wala hakuna mtu aliyepaa mbinguni, ila yeye aliyeshuka kutoka mbinguni, yaani, Mwana wa Adamu.
No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
14
Na kama vile Musa alivyomwinua yule nyoka jangwani, vivyo hivyo Mwana wa Adamu hana budi kuinuliwa;
Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15
ili kila mtu aaminiye awe na uzima wa milele katika yeye.
that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
16
Kwa maana jinsi hii Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu, hata akamtoa Mwanawe pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele.
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17
Maana Mungu hakumtuma Mwana ulimwenguni ili auhukumu ulimwengu, bali ulimwengu uokolewe katika yeye.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
18
Amwaminiye yeye hahukumiwi; asiyeamini amekwisha kuhukumiwa; kwa sababu hakuliamini jina la Mwana pekee wa Mungu.
Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19
Na hii ndiyo hukumu; ya kuwa nuru imekuja ulimwenguni, na watu wakapenda giza kuliko nuru; kwa maana matendo yao yalikuwa maovu.
And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
20
Maana kila mtu atendaye mabaya huichukia nuru, wala haji kwenye nuru, matendo yake yasije yakakemewa.
Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
21
Bali yeye aitendaye kweli huja kwenye nuru, ili matendo yake yaonekane wazi ya kuwa yametendwa katika Mungu.
But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
22
Baada ya hayo Yesu na wanafunzi wake walikwenda mpaka nchi ya Uyahudi; akashinda huko pamoja nao, akabatiza.
After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized.
23
Yohana naye alikuwa akibatiza huko Ainoni, karibu na Salimu, kwa sababu huko kulikuwa na maji tele; na watu wakamwendea, wakabatizwa.
Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.
24
Maana Yohana alikuwa hajatiwa gerezani.
(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)
25
Basi palitokea mashindano ya wanafunzi wa Yohana na Myahudi mmoja juu ya utakaso.
Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing.
26
Wakamwendea Yohana, wakamwambia, Rabi, yeye aliyekuwa pamoja nawe ng'ambo ya Yordani, yeye uliyemshuhudia, tazama, huyo anabatiza na watu wote wanamwendea.
So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”
27
Yohana akajibu, akasema, Hawezi mtu kupokea neno lo lote isipokuwa amepewa kutoka mbinguni.
John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
28
Ninyi wenyewe mwanishuhudia ya kwamba nalisema, Mimi siye Kristo, bali nimetumwa mbele yake.
You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
29
Aliye naye bibi arusi ndiye bwana arusi; lakini rafiki yake bwana arusi, yeye anayesimama na kumsikia, aifurahia sana sauti yake bwana arusi.
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
30
Basi hii furaha yangu imetimia. Yeye hana budi kuzidi, bali mimi kupungua.
He must increase; I must decrease.
31
Yeye ajaye kutoka juu, huyo yu juu ya yote. Yeye aliye wa dunia, asili yake ni ya dunia, naye anena mambo ya duniani. Yeye ajaye kutoka mbinguni yu juu ya yote.
The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.
32
Yale aliyoyaona na kuyasikia ndiyo anayoyashuhudia, wala hakuna anayeukubali ushuhuda wake.
He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
33
Yeye aliyeukubali ushuhuda wake ametia muhuri ya kwamba Mungu ni kweli.
Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful.
34
Kwa kuwa yeye aliyetumwa na Mungu huyanena maneno ya Mungu; kwa sababu hamtoi Roho kwa kipimo.
For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
35
Baba ampenda Mwana, naye amempa vyote mkononi mwake.
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
36
Amwaminiye Mwana yuna uzima wa milele; asiyemwamini Mwana hataona uzima, bali ghadhabu ya Mungu inamkalia.
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”