Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He 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.”
3Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.3:3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.”
4“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit3:6 Or but spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You3:7 The Greek is plural. must be born again.’ 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”3:8 The Greek for Spirit is the same as that for wind.
9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.3:13 Some manuscripts Man, who is in heaven 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted. 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.
16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
John Testifies Again About Jesus
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. 24(This was before John was put in prison.) 25An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. 26They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
27To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’ 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30He must become greater; I must become less.”3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
31The 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. 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God3:34 Greek he gives the Spirit without limit. 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
Yesu ya koyar da Nikodimus
1Akwai wani Bafarisiye mai suna Nikodimus, wani ɗan majalisar Yahudawa. 2Ya zo wurin Yesu da dad dare ya ce, “Rabbi, mun sani kai malami ne daga Allah. Gama ba wanda zai iya yin waɗannan abubuwan banmamaki da kake yi in Allah ba ya tare da shi.”
3Yesu ya amsa ya ce, “Gaskiya nake faɗa maka, ba wanda zai iya ganin mulkin Allah sai an sāke haihuwarsa.”
4Nikodimus ya yi tambaya ya ce, “Yaya za a haifi mutum sa’ad da ya tsufa? Tabbatacce ba zai sāke koma sau na biyu a cikin mahaifiyarsa don a haife shi kuma ba!”
5Yesu ya amsa ya ce, “Gaskiya nake faɗa maka, ba wanda zai iya ganin mulkin Allah sai an haife shi ta wurin ruwa da kuma Ruhu. 6Jiki yakan haifi jiki, amma Ruhu yana haifi ruhu. 7Kada ka yi mamaki da na ce, ‘Dole ne a sāke haifarku.’ 8Iska takan hura zuwa inda take so. Kai kakan ji motsinta, sai dai ba ka iya sanin inda take fitowa ko kuwa inda za ta. Haka yake ga duk wanda aka haifa ta wurin Ruhu.”
9Nikodimus ya yi tambaya ya ce, “Yaya wannan zai yiwu?”
10Yesu ya ce, “Kai ma da kake malami na Isra’ila, ba ka fahimci waɗannan abubuwa ba? 11Gaskiya nake faɗa maka, muna magana a kan abin da muka sani, muka kuma shaida abin da muka gani ne, amma har yanzu kun ƙi ku karɓi shaidarmu. 12Na yi muku magana a kan abubuwan duniya amma ba ku gaskata ba; to, yaya za ku gaskata in na yi magana a kan abubuwan sama? 13Ba wanda ya taɓa hawa zuwa sama sai wanda ya sauka daga sama, wato, Ɗan Mutum.3.13 Waɗansu rubuce-rubucen hannu na dā suna da Mutum, wanda yake cikin sama 14Kamar dai yadda Musa ya ɗaga maciji a hamada, haka dole ne a ɗaga Ɗan Mutum, 15don duk mai gaskata da shi ya sami rai madawwami.”
16Gama Allah ya ƙaunaci duniya sosai har ya ba da wanda yake Ɗaya kuma Makaɗaicin Ɗansa domin duk wanda ya gaskata da shi kada yă hallaka sai dai yă sami rai madawwami. 17Gama Allah bai aiki Ɗansa duniya don yă yi wa duniya hukunci ba, sai dai domin yă ceci duniya ta wurinsa. 18Duk wanda ya gaskata da shi ba za a yi masa hukunci ba, amma duk wanda bai gaskata ba an riga an yi masa hukunci domin bai gaskata da sunan wanda yake Ɗaya kuma Makaɗaicin Ɗan Allah ba. 19Hukuncin shi ne, Haske ya zo cikin duniya, amma mutane suka so duhu a maimakon haske domin ayyukansu mugaye ne. 20Duk mai aikata mugunta yana ƙin haske, ba zai kuwa zo cikin haske ba don yana tsoro kada ayyukansa su tonu. 21Amma duk mai rayuwa bisa ga gaskiya yakan zo cikin haske, domin a gani a sarari cewa ayyukan da ya yi an yi su ne ta wurin Allah.
Shaidar Yohanna Mai Baftisma a kan Yesu
22Bayan wannan, Yesu da almajiransa suka tafi ƙauyukan Yahudiya, inda ya ɗan jima da su, ya kuma yi baftisma. 23To, Yohanna ma yana yin baftisma a Ainon kusa da Salim, saboda akwai ruwa da yawa a can, mutane kuwa suka yi ta zuwa don a yi musu baftisma. 24(Wannan kuwa kafin a sa Yohanna a kurkuku.) 25Sai gardama ta tashi tsakanin waɗansu almajiran Yohanna da wani mutumin Yahuda3.25 Waɗansu rubuce-rubucen hannu na dā suna da da waɗansu Yahudawa a kan zancen al’adar tsarkakewa. 26Sai suka zo wurin Yohanna suka ce masa, “Rabbi, wancan mutumin da yake tare da kai a ƙetaren Urdun, wannan da ka ba da shaida a kansa sosai nan, yana baftisma, kuma kowa yana zuwa wurinsa.”
27Ga wannan zancen Yohanna ya amsa ya ce, “Mutum yakan karɓi kawai abin da aka ba shi ne daga sama. 28Ku kanku za ku shaida cewa na ce, ‘Ba ni ne Kiristi ba, sai dai an aiko ni ne in sha gabansa.’ 29Ango ne mai amarya. Abokin da yake masa hidima yakan jira ya kuma saurara masa, yakan kuma cika da farin ciki sa’ad da ya ji muryar ango. Wannan farin cikin kuwa nawa ne, ya kuma cika a yanzu. 30Dole ne yă yi ta ƙaruwa, ni kuma in yi ta raguwa.
31“Wannan da ya zo daga sama ya fi kowa; wannan da ya zo daga ƙasa na ƙasa ne, yana kuma magana kamar wanda ya zo daga ƙasa ne. Wannan da ya zo daga sama ya fi kowa. 32Yana ba da shaidar abin da ya gani da kuma ya ji, duk da haka ba wanda ya yarda da shaidarsa. 33Mutumin da ya yarda da ita ya tabbatar da cewa Allah mai gaskiya ne. 34Gama wannan da Allah ya aiko yakan faɗi kalmomin Allah ne, gama Allah yana ba da Ruhu babu iyaka. 35Uban yana ƙaunar Ɗan ya kuma danƙa kome a hannuwansa. 36Duk wanda ya gaskata da Ɗan yana da rai madawwami, amma duk wanda ya ƙi Ɗan ba zai sami rai ba, gama fushin Allah yana nan a bisansa.”
