1 Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayeloNkulunkulu, njalo uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu. 2 WayeloNkulunkulu ekuqaleni. 3 Izinto zonke zenziwa ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe kube akukho okwenziwayo. 4 Kwakukhona ukuphila kuye, lokho kuphila kwakuyikukhanya kwabantu. 5 Ukukhanya kukhanya emnyameni, kodwa umnyama awukakuzwisisi.

6 Kwafika umuntu ethunywe nguNkulunkulu, ibizo lakhe wayenguJohane. 7 Weza njengomfakazi ezoqinisa mayelana lalokho kukhanya ukuze kuthi ngaye bonke abantu bakholwe. 8 Yena qobo lwakhe wayengesi lokho kukhanya; weza nje njengomfakazi wokukhanya lokho.

9 Ukukhanya okuliqiniso okunika ukukhanya emuntwini wonke kwakusiza emhlabeni. 10 Wayesemhlabeni, kodwa lanxa umhlaba wenziwa ngaye, umhlaba kawumazanga. 11 Weza kulokho okwakungokwakhe, kodwa khona kakumemukelanga. 12 Ikanti kulabo bonke abamamukelayo, kulabo abakholwayo ebizweni lakhe, wabapha ilungelo lokuba ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, 13 abantwana abangazalwanga ngokwemvelo, kumbe ngokukhetha komuntu, loba ngokufuna kwendoda kodwa bezelwe nguNkulunkulu.

14 ULizwi waba yinyama, wahlala phakathi kwethu. Siyibonile inkazimulo yakhe; inkazimulo yeNdodana eyiyo yodwa, eyavela kuYise, igcwele umusa leqiniso.

15 UJohane wafakaza ngayo. Wamemeza esithi, “Lo nguye engangikhuluma ngaye ngisithi, ‘Lowo oza ngemva kwami usengedlule ngoba wayevele ephambi kwami.’ ” 16 Ngenxa yokujula komusa wakhe sonke sesamukele umusa emuseni esasivele siwuphiwe. 17 Ngoba umthetho walethwa ngoMosi; umusa leqiniso kweza ngoJesu Khristu. 18 Kakho osewake wambona uNkulunkulu, kodwa iNdodana eyiyo yodwa, yona enguNkulunkulu njalo eseceleni eduze kukaYise, isimenze waziwa.

19 Lobu yibo ubufakazi bukaJohane lapho abakhokheli bamaJuda aseJerusalema abathuma khona abaphristi labaLevi ukuyambuza ukuthi wayengubani. 20 Kehlulekanga ukuzichaza, kodwa wazichaza ekhululekile wathi, “Kangisuye uKhristu.”

21 Bambuza bathi, “Pho ungubani na? Ungu-Elija yini?”

Wathi, “Kangisuye.”

“Ungumphrofethi na?”

Waphendula wathi, “Hatshi.”

22 Bacina ngokuthi, “Ungubani? Siphe impendulo esizayisa kulabo abasithumileyo. Uzibiza ngokuthi ungubani na?”

23 UJohane wabaphendula ngamazwi ka-Isaya umphrofethi wathi, “Ngiyilizwi lalowo omemezayo enkangala lisithi, ‘Lungiselani iNkosi indlela iqonde.’*U-Isaya 40.3”

24 Kwasekusithi abaFarisi ababethunyiwe 25 bambuza bathi, “Kungani pho ubhaphathiza nxa ungasuye uKhristu, kumbe u-Elija loba umphrofethi na?”

26 UJohane waphendula wathi, “Mina ngibhaphathiza ngamanzi, kodwa phakathi kwenu kumi elingamaziyo. 27 Nguye lowo ozayo ngemva kwami, mina engingafanelanga ukuthukulula imichilo yamanyathela akhe.”

28 Konke lokhu kwenzeka eBhethani ngaphetsheya kweJodani lapho uJohane ayebhaphathiza khona.

29 Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wabona uJesu esiza kuye wathi, “Khangelani, nanti iWundlu likaNkulunkulu elisusa isono somhlaba! 30 Nguye lo engangimutsho ngize ngithi, ‘Umuntu ozayo ngemva kwami usengedlule ngoba wayevele ephambi kwami.’ 31 Mina ngokwami bengingamazi, kodwa okwenze ngeza ngibhaphathiza ngamanzi kwakuyikwenzela ukuthi abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli.”

32 UJohane waseletha lobubufakazi: “Ngabona uMoya esehla evela ezulwini enjengejuba wahlala phezu kwakhe. 33 Lami uqobo lwami ngangingamazi, kodwa lowo owangithumayo ukubhaphathiza ngamanzi wathi, ‘Lowomuntu ozabona uMoya usehla uhlala kuye nguye kanye ozabhaphathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ 34 Sengibonile yikho sengifakaza ukuthi lo ungoKhethiweyo kaNkulunkulu.”

35 Ngelanga elilandelayo uJohane wayekhonapho, elabafundi bakhe ababili. 36 Wathi ebona uJesu esedlula lapho wathi, “Khangelani, nanti iWundlu likaNkulunkulu!”

37 Abafundi ababili labo bathi bekuzwa lokhu basebelandela uJesu. 38 UJesu wathi enyemukula wababona bemlandela, wababuza wathi, “Lifunani na?”

Bathi, “Rabi” (okutsho ukuthi “Mfundisi”), “uhlala ngaphi?”

39 Waphendula wathi, “Wozani, lizabona.”

Ngakho bahamba bayabona lapho ayehlala khona, batshona laye mhlalokho. Kwakungaba lihola letshumi.

40 U-Andreya, umfowabo kaSimoni Phethro wayengomunye wababili abezwayo okwakukhulunywa nguJohane njalo abayibo abalandela uJesu. 41 Into yokuqala ayenzayo u-Andreya yikudinga umfowabo uSimoni wamtshela wathi, “Sesimfumene uMesiya” (okutsho uKhristu). 42 Wasemletha kuJesu.

UJesu wamkhangela wathi, “UnguSimoni indodana kaJohane. Usuzathiwa unguKhefasi” (okuchasiswa ngokuthi, nguPhethro).

43 Ngelanga elilandelayo uJesu wafuna ukusuka aye eGalile. Wabona uFiliphu wathi kuye, “Ngilandela.”

44 UFiliphu wayengowedolobheni lase-Bhethisayida, njengo-Andreya loPhethro. 45 UFiliphu wadinga uNathaneli wamtshela wathi, “Sesimfumene lowo uMosi aloba ngaye eMthethweni, njalo abaphrofethi labo abaloba ngaye, uJesu waseNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.”

46 UNathaneli wabuza wathi, “ENazaretha! Kulolutho oluhle olungavela khona na?”

UFiliphu wathi, “Woza uzebona.”

47 Kwathi uJesu ebona uNathaneli eqhamuka laphaya wathi ngaye, “Nangu umʼIsrayeli oqotho, okungekho nkohliso kuye.”

48 UNathaneli wambuza wathi, “Ungazela ngaphi na?”

UJesu waphendula wathi, “Ngikubonile usahlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa uFiliphu engakakubizi.”

49 UNathaneli wasefakaza wathi, “Rabi, uyindodana kaNkulunkulu; uyiNkosi ka-Israyeli.”

50 UJesu wathi, “Ukholwa ngoba ngithe ngikubone ngaphansi kwesihlahla somkhiwa. Usazobona izinto ezinkulu kulalokho.” 51 Waphinda wengeza wathi, “Ngikutshela iqiniso, uzabona izulu livuleka, lezingilosi zikaNkulunkulu zikhwela zisehlela eNdodaneni yoMuntu.”