NgokukaJohane 1:1-51

Ekuqaleni wayekhona uLizwi, uLizwi wayekuNkulunkulu, uLizwi wayenguNkulunkulu. Yena lowo wayekhona ekuqaleni kuNkulunkulu. Konke kwavela ngaye; ngaphandle kwakhe akuvelanga lutho kukho konke okuvelileyo. Ukuphila kwakukuye, ukuphila kwakungukukhanya kwabantu; ukukhanya kukhanya ebumnyameni, kepha ubumnyama abukwamukelanga. Kwavela umuntu ethunyiwe nguNkulunkulu, igama lakhe linguJohane. Lowo wezela ubufakazi ukuba afakaze ngokukhanya, ukuze bonke bakholwe ngaye. Yena wayengesikho ukukhanya, kepha wayengozofakaza ngokukhanya. Kwakungukukhanya okuqinisileyo okukhanyisa wonke umuntu, okwase kuza ezweni. Wayekhona ezweni, izwe lavela ngaye; kepha izwe alimazanga. Weza kokwakhe, abakhe abamamukelanga. Kepha bonke abamamukelayo wabapha amandla okuba babe ngabantwana bakaNkulunkulu, labo abakholwa egameni lakhe, abangazalwanga ngagazi, nantando yenyama, nantando yendoda, kodwa bazalwa nguNkulunkulu. ULizwi waba yinyama, wakha phakathi kwethu, sabona inkazimulo yakhe, inkazimulo njengeyozelwe yedwa kuYise, egcwele umusa neqiniso. UJohane wafakaza ngaye, wamemeza wathi: “Nguyena lo ebengisho ngaye ukuthi: ‘Lowo ozayo emva kwami uvelile ngaphambi kwami, ngokuba wayekhona kuqala kunami.’ ” Ngokuba ekugcwaleni kwakhe samukele sonke umusa phezu komusa. Ngokuba umthetho wanikezwa ngoMose, umusa neqiniso kwavela ngoJesu Kristu. Akakho oke wabona uNkulunkulu; iNdodana ezelwe yodwa esesifubeni sikaYise yiyona embonakalisile. Lokhu kungubufakazi bukaJohane mhla abaJuda bethuma abapristi namaLevi bephuma eJerusalema ukuba bambuze ukuthi: “Wena ungubani na?” Wavuma, kaphikanga, wavuma wathi: “Angisiye uKristu mina.” Bambuza bathi: “Uyini pho? Ungu-Eliya na?” Wathi: “Angisiye.” “UngumProfethi na?” Waphendula wathi: “Qha.” Base bethi kuye: “Ungubani na? ukuze sibaphendule abasithumileyo; uzisho ukuthi ungubani na?” Wathi: “Ngiyizwi lomemeza ehlane, ethi: ‘Lungisani indlela yeNkosi,’ ” njengalokho washo u-Isaya umprofethi. Labo ababethunyiwe babevela kubaFarisi. Bambuza-ke, bathi kuye: “Pho, ubhapathizelani, uma ungesiye uKristu, no-Eliya, nomProfethi, na?” UJohane wabaphendula wathi: “Mina ngibhapathiza ngamanzi; umi phakathi kwenu eningamaziyo: yena ozayo emva kwami, omchilo wesicathulo sakhe ngingafanele ukuwuthukulula.” Lokho kwenzeka eBethabara ngaphesheya kweJordani, lapho uJohane wayebhapathiza khona. Ngangomuso wabona uJesu eza kuye, wathi: “Bheka, iWundlu likaNkulunkulu elisusa izono zezwe. Nguye ebengisho ngaye, ngithi: ‘Emva kwami kuza umuntu owavela ngaphambi kwami, ngokuba wayekhona kuqala kunami.’ Nami bengingamazi; kodwa ukuze abonakaliswe ku-Israyeli, ngalokho ngizile ngibhapathiza ngamanzi.” UJohane wafakaza wathi: “Ngibonile uMoya ehla ezulwini njengejuba, wahlala phezu kwakhe. Nami bengingamazi, kodwa owangithuma ukubhapathiza ngamanzi wathi kimi: ‘Lowo oyakubona uMoya ehla ahlale phezu kwakhe, nguyena obhapathiza ngoMoya oNgcwele.’ Mina ngibonile, ngafakaza ukuthi: Lo uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu.” Ngangomuso futhi wayemi uJohane nababili kubafundi bakhe. Ebona uJesu ehamba, wathi: “Bheka, nanto iWundlu likaNkulunkulu.” Abafundi ababili bezwa ekhuluma, bamlandela uJesu. Khona uJesu waphenduka, wababona belandela, wathi kubo: “Nifunani na?” Bathi kuye: “Rabi,” okungukuthi ngokuhunyushwa: Mfundisi, “uhlalaphi na?” Wathi kubo: “Wozani nibone.” Ngakho-ke beza babona lapho ehlala khona; bahlala naye ngalolo suku; kwakungaba yihora leshumi. Omunye walabo ababili abamuzwa uJohane balandela uJesu wayengu-Andreya umfowabo kaSimoni Petru; yena wafumana kuqala umfowabo uSimoni, wathi kuye: “Simfumene uMesiya,” okungukuthi ngokuhunyushwa uKristu. Wamyisa kuJesu; uJesu wambheka wathi: “Wena unguSimoni kaJona; uzakubizwa ngokuthi uKhefase,” okuhunyushwa ngokuthi uPetru. Ngangomuso wayefuna ukuya eGalile, wafumana uFiliphu; uJesu wathi kuye: “Ngilandele.” UFiliphu wayengowaseBetsayida, umuzi ka-Andreya noPetru. UFiliphu wafumana uNathanayeli, wathi kuye: “Simfumene lowo aloba ngaye emthethweni uMose kanye nabaprofethi, uJesu waseNazaretha, indodana kaJosefa.” UNathanayeli wathi kuye: “Kungase kuvele okuhle eNazaretha na?” UFiliphu wathi kuye: “Woza ubone.” UJesu wabona uNathanayeli eza kuye, wathi ngaye: “Bheka, umIsrayeli uqobo okungekho nkohliso kuye.” UNathanayeli wathi kuye: “Ungazelaphi na?” UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Ungakabizwa nguFiliphu, uphansi komkhiwane, ngakubona.” UNathanayeli wamphendula wathi: “Rabi, uyiNdodana kaNkulunkulu, uyiNkosi ka-Israyeli.” UJesu waphendula, wathi kuye: “Ukholwa ngokuba ngithe kuwe ngakubona uphansi komkhiwane na? Uzakubona okukhulu kunalokho.” Wathi kuye: “Ngiqinisile, ngiqinisile ngithi kini: Nizakubona izulu livuliwe nezingelosi zikaNkulunkulu zenyuka, zehla phezu kweNdodana yomuntu.”