John 3
1 But there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a leading man among his people.
2 he came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him.
This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.
“In truth I tell you,” exclaimed Jesus, “unless a person is reborn, they cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born?
“How can a person,” asked Nicodemus, “be born when they are old? Can they be born a second time?”
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
“In truth I tell you,” answered Jesus, “unless a person owes their birth to water and Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
All that owes its birth to human nature is human, and all that owes its birth to the Spirit is spiritual.
7 Do not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that ye should be born anew.
Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn.
8 The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit.
The wind blows wherever it wants, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes; it is the same with everyone who owes his birth to the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
“How can that be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 Jesus answered and said to him, Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things!
“What! You a teacher of Israel,” exclaimed Jesus, “and yet do not understand this!
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness.
In truth I tell you that we speak of what we know, and state what we have seen; and yet you do not accept our statements.
12 If I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe?
If, when I tell you earthly things, you do not believe me, how will you believe me when I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.
No one has ascended to heaven, except him who descended from heaven – the Son of Man himself.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up,
And, as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. (aiōnios g166)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.
18 He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
The person who believes in him escapes condemnation, while the person who does not believe in him is already condemned, because they have not believed in the only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil.
The ground of their condemnation is this, that though the light has come into the world, people preferred the darkness to the light, because their actions were wicked.
20 For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are;
For the person who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, fearing that their actions will be exposed;
21 but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God.
but the person who lives by the truth comes into the light, so it can be clearly seen that God is in all they do.
22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them and baptised.
After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the country parts of Judea; and there he stayed with them, and baptized.
23 And John also was baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was a great deal of water there; and they came to [him] and were baptised:
John, also, was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there were many streams there; and people were constantly coming and being baptized.
24 for John was not yet cast into prison.
(For John had not yet been imprisoned).
25 There was therefore a reasoning of the disciples of John with a Jew about purification.
Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a fellow Jew on the subject of purification;
26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him.
and the disciples came to John and said, “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, and to whom you have yourself borne testimony – he, also, is baptizing, and everybody is going to him.”
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given him out of heaven.
John’s answer was – “A person can gain nothing but what is given them from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
You are yourselves witnesses that I said ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before him as a messenger.’
29 He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled.
It is the groom who has the bride; but the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens to him, is filled with joy when he hears the groom’s voice. This joy I have felt to the full.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
He must become greater, and I less.”
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who has his origin in the earth is of the earth, and speaks [as] of the earth. He who comes out of heaven is above all,
He who comes from above is above all others; but a child of earth is earthly, and his teaching is earthly, too. He who comes from heaven is above all others.
32 [and] what he has seen and has heard, this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony.
He states what he has seen and what he heard, and yet no one accepts his statement.
33 He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true;
They who did accept his statement confirm the fact that God is true.
34 for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure.
For he whom God sent as his messenger gives us God’s own teaching, for God does not limit the gift of the Spirit.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things [to be] in his hand.
The Father loves his Son, and has put everything in his hands.
36 He that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. (aiōnios g166)
The person who believes in the Son has eternal life, while a person who rejects the Son will not even see that life, but remains under God’s displeasure. (aiōnios g166)
