Johannes 3
1 En er was een mens uit de Farizeen, wiens naam was Nicodemus, een overste der Joden;
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 Deze kwam des nachts tot Jezus, en zeide tot Hem: Rabbi, wij weten, dat Gij zijt een Leraar van God gekomen; want niemand kan deze tekenen doen, die Gij doet, zo God met hem niet is.
He went to see Jesus at night, [to talk to him about God’s kingdom]. He said to Jesus, “Teacher, [we believe that] you are a teacher who has come from God. [We believe this because] we know that someone could perform the miracles you are doing only if God were helping him.”
3 Jezus antwoordde en zeide tot hem: Voorwaar, voorwaar zeg Ik u: Tenzij dat iemand wederom geboren worde, hij kan het Koninkrijk Gods niet zien.
Jesus replied to him, “Listen to this carefully: Unless people are born again and [have a new life from God], they cannot even see the place where God rules [MET]!”
4 Nicodemus zeide tot Hem: Hoe kan een mens geboren worden, nu oud zijnde? Kan hij ook andermaal in zijner moeders buik ingaan, en geboren worden?
Then Nicodemus said to him, “(No one can be born when he is old!/How can anyone be born when he is old?) [RHQ] (There is no way he can enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time!/How can he enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time?) [RHQ]”
5 Jezus antwoordde: Voorwaar, voorwaar zeg Ik u: Zo iemand niet geboren wordt uit water en Geest, hij kan in het Koninkrijk Gods niet ingaan.
Jesus answered, “Note this: Being born naturally is not [enough]; people need to also be born [spiritually] by God’s Spirit. If that does not happen, they cannot experience God ruling [MET] [their lives].
6 Hetgeen uit het vlees geboren is, dat is vlees; en hetgeen uit den Geest geboren is, dat is geest.
Humans give birth to humans. But those who are born [again] as a result of what [God’s] Spirit [does receive a new] spiritual [nature from God].
7 Verwonder u niet, dat Ik u gezegd heb: Gijlieden moet wederom geboren worden.
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 De wind blaast, waarheen hij wil, en gij hoort zijn geluid; maar gij weet niet, van waar hij komt, en waar hij heen gaat; alzo is een iegelijk, die uit den Geest geboren is.
[Let me illustrate]: The wind blows wherever it wants to blow. You hear its sound, but you do not know where the wind comes from or where it is going. Similarly, those [who do not know God cannot understand/control/predict] how people are born again as a result of what God’s spirit [does].”
9 Nicodemus antwoordde en zeide tot Hem: Hoe kunnen deze dingen geschieden?
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Jezus antwoordde en zeide tot hem: Zijt gij een leraar van Israel, en weet gij deze dingen niet?
Jesus replied to him, “You [(sg)] are a [well-known] teacher among [us] Israelite people, so (I am surprised that you do not understand these things!/how is it that you do not understand these things?) [RHQ]
11 Voorwaar, voorwaar zeg Ik u: Wij spreken, wat Wij weten, en getuigen, wat Wij gezien hebben; en gijlieden neemt Onze getuigenis niet aan.
Listen to this carefully: (My disciples and I/I) tell you [(pl)] about the things that my disciples and I have seen and know [are true], but you [(pl)] do not admit that what my disciples and I are saying [is true].
12 Indien Ik ulieden de aardse dingen gezegd heb, en gij niet gelooft, hoe zult gij geloven, indien Ik ulieden de hemelse zou zeggen?
I have told you about the things [that happen here] on earth that are true, but you [(pl)] do not believe me. So if I tell you [(sg)] about things [that happen] in heaven, (you certainly will not believe me!/how will you believe me?) [RHQ]
13 En niemand is opgevaren in den hemel, dan Die uit den hemel nedergekomen is, namelijk de Zoon des mensen, Die in de hemel is.
I am the only one who has gone up to heaven; no one else has gone up there. I am also the one who came down from heaven. [So I know what happens there].
14 En gelijk Mozes de slang in de woestijn verhoogd heeft, alzo moet de Zoon des mensen verhoogd worden;
[Long ago when the Israelite people rebelled against God] in the desolate area, [God sent poisonous snakes to bite them]. But when Moses lifted up [on a pole] the [model of a] poisonous snake, [everyone who looked at that model was healed from their snake bites]. Similarly, [even though I] am the one who came from heaven, [some day people] will lift me up [on a cross to kill me].
15 Opdat een iegelijk, die in Hem gelooft, niet verderve, maar het eeuwige leven hebbe. (aiōnios g166)
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 Want alzo lief heeft God de wereld gehad, dat Hij Zijn eniggeboren Zoon gegeven heeft, opdat een iegelijk die in Hem gelooft, niet verderve, maar het eeuwige leven hebbe. (aiōnios g166)
God loved us people [MTY] in the world so much that he gave his only Son [as a sacrifice for us], in order that everyone who believes in him would not be separated from God forever. Instead, they would have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 Want God heeft Zijn Zoon niet gezonden in de wereld, opdat Hij de wereld veroordelen zou, maar opdat de wereld door Hem zou behouden worden.
When God sent his Son into the world, his purpose was not to punish the [people in] [MTY] the world for their sins. Instead, he sent him in order that they might be saved by him {he might save them} [from being] ([guilty/punished]) [for their sins].
18 Die in Hem gelooft, wordt niet veroordeeld, maar die niet gelooft, is alrede veroordeeld, dewijl hij niet heeft geloofd in den Naam des eniggeboren Zoons van God.
Everyone who trusts in his Son, [God says that they] will not be punished {that he will not punish them}. But God has already [said that] everyone who does not trust in his Son will be punished {that he will punish everyone who does not trust in his Son}, because they have not trusted in what his only Son [has done for them].
19 En dit is het oordeel, dat het licht in de wereld gekomen is, en de mensen hebben de duisternis liever gehad dan het licht; want hun werken waren boos.
The [one who was like a] light [MET] [to reveal God’s truth to us] came into the world. But people loved doing what was [evil, like] darkness [MET] [is evil], instead of loving the [one who was like a] light. That is the reason [God will] judge people [and condemn them].
20 Want een iegelijk, die kwaad doet, haat het licht, en komt tot het licht niet, opdat zijn werken niet bestraft worden.
Everyone who does what is evil hates the [one who is like a] light, and they will not come to the [one who is like a] light, because it would be shown {[the one who is like a light] would show} that their deeds [are evil, and he would rebuke them].
21 Maar die de waarheid doet, komt tot het licht, opdat zijn werken openbaar worden, dat zij in God gedaan zijn.
But those who live according to [God’s] truth come to the [one who is like a] light, in order that it may be seen clearly {that people may see clearly} that the things they have done, they did them because [they have depended] on God.
22 Na dezen kwam Jezus en Zijn discipelen in het land van Judea, en onthield Zich aldaar met hen, en doopte.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 En Johannes doopte ook in Enon bij Salim, dewijl aldaar vele wateren waren; en zij kwamen daar, en werden gedoopt.
John [the Baptizer] was also baptizing people. He was doing that at Aenon [village] near Salim [town in Samaria district], because there were many springs in that area. [Many] people kept coming [to John] and were being baptized {he was baptizing them}.
24 Want Johannes was nog niet in de gevangenis geworpen.
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Er rees dan een vraag van enigen uit de discipelen van Johannes met de Joden over de reiniging.
Then some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew started arguing about the Jewish rituals of washing things [to make them acceptable to God].
26 En zij kwamen tot Johannes, en zeiden tot hem: Rabbi, Die met u was over de Jordaan, Welken gij getuigenis gaaft, zie, Die doopt, en zij komen allen tot Hem.
Then those disciples went to John and said to him, “Teacher, [do you remember] the man who was with you when you were baptizing people on the other side of the Jordan River? He is the one you were telling us about. Well, now he is baptizing people, and many people are going to him [instead of coming to us]!”
27 Johannes antwoordde en zeide: Een mens kan geen ding aannemen, zo het hem uit de hemel niet gegeven zij.
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 Gijzelven zijt mijn getuigen, dat ik gezegd heb: Ik ben de Christus niet; maar dat ik voor Hem heen uitgezonden ben.
You yourselves can verify what I said. I told you that I am not (the Messiah/God’s promised king). Instead, I [told you that] I was sent {that [God] sent me} to prepare the way for him.
29 Die de bruid heeft, is de bruidegom, maar de vriend des bruidegoms, die staat en hem hoort, verblijdt zich met blijdschap om de stem des bruidegoms. Zo is dan deze mijn blijdschap vervuld geworden.
[Let me illustrate] [MET]: [He is like a] ([bridegroom/man who is being married]), [and I am like his friend]. The friend of the bridegroom stands there and waits [for him to come]. That friend is very happy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice [when he arrives]. Similarly, I am very happy [about what you have told me].
30 Hij moet wassen, maar ik minder worden.
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 Die van boven komt, is boven allen; die uit de aarde is voortgekomen die is uit de aarde, en spreekt uit de aarde. Die uit den hemel komt, is boven allen.
[Jesus] came from heaven. He is more important than anyone else. Those who are born from [parents here] on earth [MTY] are just humans, and they speak about things [that happen here] on the earth. But since Jesus came from heaven, his [words are] more important than anyone else’s.
32 En hetgeen Hij gezien en gehoord heeft, dat getuigt Hij; en Zijn getuigenis neemt niemand aan.
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 Die Zijn getuigenis aangenomen heeft, die heeft verzegeld, dat God waarachtig is.
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 Want Dien God gezonden heeft, Die spreekt de woorden Gods; want God geeft Hem de Geest niet met mate.
[We know it is true] because [Jesus], the one God sent, speaks the message of God. [That is also true] because God causes his Spirit to live [in Jesus] to completely [direct everything he says and does].
35 De Vader heeft den Zoon lief, en heeft alle dingen in Zijn hand gegeven.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Die in den Zoon gelooft, die heeft het eeuwige leven; maar die den Zoon ongehoorzaam is, die zal het leven niet zien, maar de toorn Gods blijft op hem. (aiōnios g166)
Those who trust in [God’s] Son have eternal life. But those who reject God’s Son will never have [eternal] life. Instead, God is angry with them [and he will surely punish them]. (aiōnios g166)
