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 baptised. 23Now John also was baptising at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptised. 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 baptising, 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 ne Nikodemo
13:1 a Yk 7:50; 19:39 b Luk 23:13Awo waaliwo omukulembeze w’Abayudaaya erinnya lye Nikodemo, Omufalisaayo, 23:2 a Yk 9:16, 33 b Bik 2:22; 10:38n’ajja eri Yesu ekiro okwogera naye. N’amugamba nti, “Labbi, tumanyi nti oli muyigiriza eyava eri Katonda kubanga eby’amagero by’okola tewali ayinza kubikola okuggyako nga Katonda ali wamu naye.”
33:3 Yk 1:13; 1Pe 1:23Yesu n’amuddamu nti, “Ddala ddala nkugamba nti, Omuntu bw’atazaalibwa mulundi gwakubiri tayinza kulaba bwakabaka bwa Katonda.”
4Nikodemo n’amuddamu nti, “Omuntu ayinza atya okuzaalibwa bw’aba nga muntu mukulu? Ayinza okuyingira mu lubuto lwa nnyina omulundi ogwokubiri, n’azaalibwa?”
53:5 Tit 3:5Yesu kwe kumuddamu nti, “Ddala ddala nkugamba nti, Okuggyako ng’omuntu azaaliddwa amazzi n’Omwoyo tasobola kuyingira mu bwakabaka bwa Katonda. 63:6 Yk 1:13; 1Ko 15:50Ekizaalibwa omubiri kiba mubiri, n’ekizaalibwa Omwoyo kiba mwoyo. 7Noolwekyo teweewuunya kubanga nkugambye nti kibagwanira okuzaalibwa omulundi ogwokubiri. 8Empewo ekuntira gy’eyagala, n’owulira okuwuuma kwayo, naye tomanya gy’eva newaakubadde gyegenda; bw’atyo bw’abeera omuntu yenna azaalibwa Omwoyo.”
93:9 Yk 6:52, 60Nikodemo n’amubuuza nti, “Ebyo biyinza bitya okubaawo?”
103:10 Luk 2:46Yesu n’amuddamu nti, “Ggwe omuyigiriza wa Isirayiri, n’otomanya bintu bino? 113:11 a Yk 1:18; 7:16, 17 b nny 32Ddala ddala nkugamba nti twogera kye tumanyi, ne tutegeeza kye twalaba, so temukkiriza bujulirwa bwaffe. 12Naye obanga temukkiriza bwe mbabuulira eby’ensi, kale munaasobola mutya okukkiriza bwe nnaababuulira eby’omu ggulu? 133:13 a Nge 30:4; Bik 2:34 b Yk 6:38, 42Kubanga tewali muntu eyali alinnye mu ggulu, okuggyako eyava mu ggulu, ye Mwana w’Omuntu. 143:14 a Kbl 21:8, 9 b Yk 8:28; 12:32Era nga Musa bwe yawanika omusota mu ddungu, bwe kityo n’Omwana w’Omuntu kimugwanira okuwanikibwa, 153:15 nny 16, 36buli amukkiriza alyoke afune obulamu obutaggwaawo.
163:16 a Bar 5:8; Bef 2:4 b nny 36; Yk 6:29, 40“Kubanga Katonda bwe yayagala ensi, bw’atyo n’awaayo Omwana we omu yekka, buli muntu yenna amukkiriza aleme kuzikirira, wabula afune obulamu obutaggwaawo. 173:17 a Yk 6:29, 57; 10:36; 11:42; 17:8, 21; 20:21 b Yk 12:47; 1Yk 4:14Kubanga Katonda teyatuma Mwana we mu nsi kugisalira musango, wabula ensi erokolebwe okuyita mu ye. 183:18 a Yk 5:24 b 1Yk 4:9Amukkiriza tasalibwa musango, naye atakkiriza gumaze okumusinga kubanga takkiririza mu linnya ly’Omwana oyo omu yekka owa Katonda. 193:19 Yk 1:4; 8:12Era guno gwe musango nti: Omusana guzze mu nsi, kyokka abantu ne baagala ekizikiza okusinga omusana, kubanga ebikolwa byabwe bibi. 203:20 Bef 5:11, 13Buli akola ebibi akyawa Omusana era tajja eri musana, ebikolwa bye bireme okumanyibwa. 21Naye buli ajja eri omusana akola eby’amazima, ebikolwa bye bimanyibwe nga byakolerwa mu Katonda.”
Yesu ne Yokaana Omubatiza
223:22 Yk 4:2Oluvannyuma lw’ebyo Yesu n’abayigirizwa be ne bajja mu nsi y’e Buyudaaya, n’abeera eyo nabo, era n’abatiza. 23Mu kiseera ekyo ne Yokaana yali abatiriza mu Enoni okumpi ne Salimu, kubanga awo waaliwo amazzi mangi, era ng’abantu bangi bajja okubatizibwa, 243:24 Mat 4:12; 14:3olwo nga tannateekebwa mu kkomera. 253:25 Yk 2:6Ne wabaawo empaka wakati w’abayigirizwa ba Yokaana n’Omuyudaaya ku nsonga ey’okutukuzibwa. 263:26 a Mat 23:7 b Yk 1:7Ne bajja eri Yokaana ne bamugamba nti, “Labbi, omuntu oli gwe wali naye emitala w’omugga Yoludaani, gwe wayogerako, laba abatiza era abantu bonna bagenda gy’ali.”
27Yokaana n’abaddamu nti, “Omuntu tayinza kuba na kintu okuggyako nga kimuweereddwa okuva mu ggulu. 283:28 Yk 1:20, 23Mmwe mwennyini mukimanyi bulungi nga bwe nabagamba nti, ‘Si nze Kristo.’ Nze natumibwa okumukulembera. 293:29 a Mat 9:15 b Yk 16:24; 17:13Nannyini mugole ye awasizza, naye mukwano nnannyini mugole ayimirira ng’amuwulidde, era asanyukira nnyo eddoboozi ly’oyo awasizza. Noolwekyo essanyu lyange lituukiridde. 30Kimugwanira ye okugulumizibwa naye nze okutoowazibwa.
313:31 a nny 13 b Yk 8:23; 1Yk 4:5“Oyo ava mu ggulu, yafuga byonna. Ow’omu nsi, aba wa mu nsi, era ayogera bya mu nsi. 323:32 a Yk 8:26; 15:15 b nny 11Ye ategeeza ebyo bye yalaba ne bye yawulira, so tewali akkiriza by’ategeeza. 33Naye oyo akkiriza by’ategeeza akakasa nti Katonda wa mazima. 343:34 a nny 17 b Mat 12:18; Luk 4:18Kubanga oyo eyatumwa Katonda ategeeza ebigambo bya Katonda, n’Omwoyo gw’agaba tagerebwa. 353:35 Mat 28:18; Yk 5:20, 22; 17:2Kitaffe ayagala Omwana we era yamukwasa byonna mu mukono gwe. 363:36 nny 15; Yk 5:24; 6:47Oyo akkiriza Omwana alina obulamu obutaggwaawo, naye oyo atakkiriza Mwana, taliraba bulamu era Katonda amusunguwalira.”
