¹Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

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

²The same came to him by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is 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 him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, The word translated “anew” here and in John 3:7 (anothen) also means “again” and “from above”. he can’t see the Kingdom of God.”

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

⁴Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

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

⁵Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into the Kingdom of God!

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

⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

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

⁷ Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’

⁷Usistaajabu kwamba nimekwambia kuwa ni lazima kuzaliwa upya.

⁸ The wind The same Greek word (pneuma) means wind, breath, and spirit. blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who 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 him, “How can these things be?”

⁹Nikodemo akamwuliza, "Mambo haya yanawezekanaje?"

¹⁰Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?

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

¹¹ Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.

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

¹² If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

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

¹³ No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended 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.

¹⁴ As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so 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,

¹⁵ that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁵ili kila anayemwamini awe na uzima wa milele.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes 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.

¹⁷ For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

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

¹⁸ He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.

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

¹⁹ This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the 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.

²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.

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

²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”

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

²²After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized.

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

²³John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.

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 thrown into prison.

²⁴(Wakati huo Yohane alikuwa bado hajafungwa gerezani.)

²⁵There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.

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

²⁶They came to John, and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming 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, “A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.

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

²⁸You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’

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

²⁹He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.

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 is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from 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.

³²What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.

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

³³He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, 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 the Spirit without 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 into his hand.

³⁵Baba anampenda Mwana na amemkabidhi vitu vyote.

³⁶One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys The same word can be translated “disobeys” or “disbelieves” in this context. the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

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