< John 3 >
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
And there was a man of the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, a ruler of the Jews,
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.”
this one came unto him by night, and said to him, 'Rabbi, we have known that from God thou hast come — a teacher, for no one these signs is able to do that thou dost, if God may not be with him.'
3 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
Jesus answered and said to him, 'Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born from above, he is not able to see the reign of God;'
4 “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
Nicodemus saith unto him, 'How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?'
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God;
6 Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’
'Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above;
8 The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.'
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
Nicodemus answered and said to him, 'How are these things able to happen?'
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things?
Jesus answered and said to him, 'Thou art the teacher of Israel — and these things thou dost not know!
11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
'Verily, verily, I say to thee — What we have known we speak, and what we have seen we testify, and our testimony ye do not receive;
12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
if the earthly things I said to you, and ye do not believe, how, if I shall say to you the heavenly things, will ye believe?
13 No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down — the Son of Man who is in the heaven.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
'And as Moses did lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so it behoveth the Son of Man to be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. (aiōnios )
that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during, (aiōnios )
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (aiōnios )
for God did so love the world, that His Son — the only begotten — He gave, that every one who is believing in him may not perish, but may have life age-during. (aiōnios )
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;
18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
he who is believing in him is not judged, but he who is not believing hath been judged already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
'And this is the judgment, that the light hath come to the world, and men did love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil;
20 Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
for every one who is doing wicked things hateth the light, and doth not come unto the light, that his works may not be detected;
21 But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
but he who is doing the truth doth come to the light, that his works may be manifested, that in God they are having been wrought.'
22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized.
After these things came Jesus and his disciples to the land of Judea, and there he did tarry with them, and was baptizing;
23 Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.
and John was also baptizing in Aenon, nigh to Salem, because there were many waters there, and they were coming and were being baptized —
24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)
for John was not yet cast into the prison —
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing.
there arose then a question from the disciples of John with [some] Jews about purifying,
26 So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”
and they came unto John, and said to him, 'Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou didst testify, lo, this one is baptizing, and all are coming unto him.'
27 John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
John answered and said, 'A man is not able to receive anything, if it may not have been given him from the heaven;
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
ye yourselves do testify to me that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am having been sent before him;
29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
he who is having the bride is bridegroom, and the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, with joy doth rejoice because of the voice of the bridegroom; this, then, my joy hath been fulfilled.
30 He must increase; I must decrease.
'Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less;
31 The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.
he who from above is coming is above all; he who is from the earth, from the earth he is, and from the earth he speaketh; he who from the heaven is coming is above all.
32 He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
'And what he hath seen and heard this he doth testify, and his testimony none receiveth;
33 Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful.
he who is receiving his testimony did seal that God is true;
34 For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
for he whom God sent, the sayings of God he speaketh; for not by measure doth God give the Spirit;
35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
the Father doth love the Son, and all things hath given into his hand;
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” (aiōnios )
he who is believing in the Son, hath life age-during; and he who is not believing the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God doth remain upon him.' (aiōnios )