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

¹There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

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."

²The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

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

³Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

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

⁴Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

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

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

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

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

⁷Usistaajabu kwamba nimekwambia kuwa ni lazima kuzaliwa upya.

⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

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

⁸The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

⁹Nikodemo akamwuliza, "Mambo haya yanawezekanaje?"

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

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

¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

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

¹¹Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

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

¹²If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

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

¹³And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

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

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

¹⁵ili kila anayemwamini awe na uzima wa milele.

¹⁵That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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

¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

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

¹⁷For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

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

¹⁸He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

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

¹⁹And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

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

²⁰For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

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

²¹But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

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

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

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

²³And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

²⁴(Wakati huo Yohane alikuwa bado hajafungwa gerezani.)

²⁴For John was not yet cast into prison.

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

²⁵Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

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."

²⁶And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

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

²⁷John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.

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

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

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

²⁹He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

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

³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.

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.

³¹He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

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

³²And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

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

³³He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

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

³⁴For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

³⁵Baba anampenda Mwana na amemkabidhi vitu vyote.

³⁵The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

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

³⁶He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.