John 3
1 There was nowe a man of the Pharises, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Iewes.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a leading man among his people.
2 This man came to Iesus by night, and sayd vnto him, Rabbi, we knowe ye thou art a teacher come from God: for no man could do these miracles that thou doest, except God were 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 Iesus answered, and said vnto him, Verely, verely I say vnto thee, except a man be borne againe, he can not see the kingdome of God.
‘In truth I tell you,’ exclaimed Jesus, ‘unless a person is reborn, they cannot see the kingdom of God.’
4 Nicodemus sayde vnto him, Howe can a man be borne which is olde? can he enter into his mothers wombe againe, and be borne?
‘How can a person,’ asked Nicodemus, ‘be born when they are old? Can they be born a second time?’
5 Iesus answered, Verely, verely I say vnto thee, except that a man be borne of water and of the Spirite, hee can not enter into the kingdome 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 borne of the flesh, is flesh: and that that is borne 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 Marueile not that I said to thee, Yee must be borne againe.
Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn.
8 The winde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it commeth, and whither it goeth: so is euery man that is borne 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 vnto him, Howe can these things be?
‘How can that be?’ asked Nicodemus.
10 Iesus answered, and saide vnto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things?
‘What! You a teacher of Israel,’ exclaimed Jesus, ‘and yet do not understand this!
11 Verely, verely I say vnto thee, wee speake that we know, and testifie that we haue seene: but yee receiue not our witnesse.
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 when I tel you earthly things, ye beleeue not, howe should yee beleeue, if I shall tel you of heauenly things?
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 For no man ascendeth vp to heauen, but he that hath descended from heauen, that Sonne of man which is in heauen.
No one has ascended to heaven, except him who descended from heaven – the Son of Man himself.
14 And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, so must that Sonne of man be lift vp,
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 loued the worlde, that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life. (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 sent not his Sonne into the world, that he should condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saued.
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 Hee that beleeueth in him, is not condemned: but hee that beleeueth not, is condemned already, because he hath not beleeued in the Name of that onely begotten Sonne 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 condemnation, that that light came into the worlde, and men loued darknesse rather then that light, because their deedes were euill.
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 euery man that euill doeth, hateth the light, neither commeth to light, least his deedes should be reprooued.
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 doeth trueth, commeth to the light, that his deedes might bee made manifest, that they are wrought according to 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 Iesus and his disciples into the lande of Iudea, and there taried with them, and baptized.
After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the country parts of Judea; and there he stayed with them, and baptized.
23 And Iohn also baptized in Enon besides Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
John, also, was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there were many streams there; and people were constantly coming and being baptized.
24 For Iohn was not yet cast into prison.
(For John had not yet been imprisoned).
25 Then there arose a question betweene Iohns disciples and the Iewes, about purifying.
Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a fellow Jew on the subject of purification;
26 And they came vnto Iohn, and saide vnto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Iorden, to whom thou barest witnesse, behold, he baptizeth, and all men 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 Iohn answered, and saide, A man can receiue nothing, except it be giuen him from heauen.
John’s answer was – ‘A person can gain nothing but what is given them from heaven.
28 Yee your selues are my witnesses, that I sayde, I am not that 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 hath the bride, is the bridegrome: but the friend of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him, reioyceth greatly, because of the bridegromes voyce. This my ioy therefore 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 Hee that is come from an hie, is aboue all: he that is of the earth, is of the earth, and speaketh of the earth: hee that is come from heauen, is aboue 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 hee hath seene and heard, that he testifieth: but no man receiueth his testimonie.
He states what he has seen and what he heard, and yet no one accepts his statement.
33 He that hath receiued his testimonie, hath sealed that God is true.
They who did accept his statement confirm the fact that God is true.
34 For hee whome God hath sent, speaketh the woordes of God: for God giueth him 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 loueth the Sonne, and hath giuen all things into his hande.
The Father loves his Son, and has put everything in his hands.
36 Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne, hath euerlasting life, and hee that obeyeth not the Sonne, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on 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)
