¹But there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;

¹Kulikuwa na kiongozi mmoja Myahudi, wa kikundi cha Mafarisayo, jina lake Nikodemo.

²he came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him.

²Siku moja alimwendea Yesu usiku, akamwambia, "Rabi, tunajua kwamba wewe ni mwalimu uliyetumwa na Mungu, maana hakuna mtu awezaye kufanya ishara unazozifanya Mungu asipokuwa pamoja naye."

³Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.

³Yesu akamwambia, "Kweli nakwambia, mtu asipozaliwa upya hataweza kuuona ufalme wa Mungu."

⁴Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born?

⁴Nikodemo akamwuliza, "Mtu mzima awezaje kuzaliwa tena? Hawezi kuingia tumboni mwa mama yake na kuzaliwa mara ya pili!"

⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

⁵Yesu akamjibu, "Kweli nakwambia, mtu asipozaliwa kwa maji na Roho, hawezi kamwe kuingia katika ufalme wa Mungu.

⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁶Mtu huzaliwa kimwili kwa baba na mama, lakini huzaliwa kiroho kwa Roho.

⁷Do not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that *ye* should be born anew.

⁷Usistaajabu kwamba nimekwambia kuwa ni lazima kuzaliwa upya.

⁸The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit.

⁸Upepo huvuma kuelekea upendako; waisikia sauti yake, lakini hujui unakotoka wala unakokwenda. Ndivyo ilivyo kwa mtu aliyezaliwa kwa Roho."

⁹Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?

⁹Nikodemo akamwuliza, "Mambo haya yanawezekanaje?"

¹⁰Jesus answered and said to him, Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things!

¹⁰Yesu akamjibu, "Je, wewe ni mwalimu katika Israel na huyajui mambo haya?

¹¹Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness.

¹¹Kweli nakwambia, sisi twasema tunayoyajua na kushuhudia tuliyoyaona, lakini ninyi hamkubali ujumbe wetu.

¹²If I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe?

¹²Ikiwa nimewaambieni mambo ya kidunia nanyi hamniamini, mtawezaje kuamini nikiwaambieni mambo ya mbinguni?

¹³And no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.

¹³Hakuna mtu aliyepata kwenda juu mbinguni isipokuwa Mwana wa Mtu ambaye ameshuka kutoka mbinguni.

¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up,

¹⁴"Kama vile Mose alivyomwinua juu nyoka wa shaba kule jangwani, naye Mwana wa Mtu atainuliwa juu vivyo hivyo,

¹⁵that every one who believes on him may [not perish, but] have life eternal.

¹⁵ili kila anayemwamini awe na uzima wa milele.

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.

¹⁶Maana Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu hivi hata akamtoa Mwana wake wa pekee, ili kila amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele.

¹⁷For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him.

¹⁷Maana Mungu hakumtuma Mwanae ulimwenguni ili auhukumu ulimwengu, bali aukomboe ulimwengu.

¹⁸He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

¹⁸"Anayemwamini Mwana hahukumiwi; asiyemwamini amekwisha hukumiwa kwa sababu hakumwamini Mwana wa pekee wa Mungu.

¹⁹And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil.

¹⁹Na hukumu yenyewe ndiyo hii: Mwanga umekuja ulimwenguni lakini watu wakapenda giza kuliko mwanga, kwani matendo yao ni maovu.

²⁰For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are;

²⁰Kila mtu atendaye maovu anauchukia mwanga, wala haji kwenye mwanga, maana hapendi matendo yake maovu yamulikwe.

²¹but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God.

²¹Lakini mwenye kuuzingatia ukweli huja kwenye mwanga, ili matendo yake yaonekane yametendwa kwa kumtii Mungu."

²²After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them and baptised.

²²Baada ya hayo, Yesu alifika mkoani Yudea pamoja na wanafunzi wake. Alikaa huko pamoja nao kwa muda, akibatiza watu.

²³And John also was baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was a great deal of water there; and they came to [him] and were baptised:

²³Yohane pia alikuwa akibatiza watu huko Ainoni, karibu na Salemu, maana huko kulikuwa na maji mengi. Watu walimwendea, naye akawabatiza.

²⁴for John was not yet cast into prison.

²⁴(Wakati huo Yohane alikuwa bado hajafungwa gerezani.)

²⁵There was therefore a reasoning of the disciples of John with a Jew about purification.

²⁵Ubishi ulitokea kati ya baadhi ya wanafunzi wa Yohane na Myahudi mmoja kuhusu desturi za kutawadha.

²⁶And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him.

²⁶Basi, wanafunzi hao wakamwendea Yohane na kumwambia, "Mwalimu, yule mtu aliyekuwa pamoja nawe ng'ambo ya Yordani na ambaye wewe ulimshuhudia, sasa naye anabatiza, na watu wote wanamwendea."

²⁷John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given him out of heaven.

²⁷Yohane akawaambia, "Mtu hawezi kuwa na kitu asipopewa na Mungu.

²⁸Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.

²⁸Nanyi wenyewe mwaweza kushuhudia kuwa nilisema: Mimi siye Kristo, lakini nimetumwa ili nimtangulie!

²⁹He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled.

²⁹Bibiarusi ni wake bwanaarusi, lakini rafiki yake bwana arusi, anayesimama na kusikiliza, hufurahi sana anapomsikia bwana arusi akisema. Ndivyo furaha yangu ilivyokamilishwa.

³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.

³⁰Ni lazima yeye azidi kuwa maarufu, na mimi nipungue.

³¹He who comes from above is above all. He who has his origin in the earth is of the earth, and speaks [as] of the earth. He who comes out of heaven is above all,

³¹"Anayekuja kutoka juu ni mkuu kuliko wote; atokaye duniani ni wa dunia, na huongea mambo ya kidunia. Lakini anayekuja kutoka mbinguni ni mkuu kuliko wote.

³²[and] what he has seen and has heard, this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony.

³²Yeye husema yale aliyoyaona na kuyasikia, lakini hakuna mtu anayekubali ujumbe wake.

³³He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true;

³³Lakini mtu yeyote anayekubali ujumbe wake anathibitisha kwamba Mungu ni kweli.

³⁴for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure.

³⁴Yule aliyetumwa na Mungu husema maneno ya Mungu, maana Mungu humjalia mtu huyo Roho wake bila kipimo.

³⁵The Father loves the Son, and has given all things [to be] in his hand.

³⁵Baba anampenda Mwana na amemkabidhi vitu vyote.

³⁶He that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him.

³⁶Anayemwamini Mwana anao uzima wa milele; asiyemtii Mwana hatakuwa na uzima wa milele, bali ghadhabu ya Mungu hubaki juu yake."