John 3
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 The same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.
He came at night to where Jesus was and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, for nobody could do the miraculous signs you're doing unless God was with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “Unless you are reborn, you can't experience God's kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
“How can you be reborn when you're old?” Nicodemus asked. “You can't go back into your mother's womb and be born a second time!”
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
“I tell you the truth, you can't enter God's kingdom unless you are born of water and the Spirit,” Jesus told him.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
“What's born of the flesh is flesh, and what's born of the Spirit is Spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.
Don't be surprised at my telling you, ‘You must be reborn.’
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
The wind blows wherever it wants, and just as you hear the sound it makes, but don't know where it's coming from or where it's going, that's how it is for everyone who is born of the spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
“How is this possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?
“You're a famous teacher in Israel, and yet you don't understand such things?” Jesus replied.
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and bear witness of that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
“I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know and give evidence regarding what we have seen, but you refuse to accept our testimony.
12 If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?
If you don't trust what I say when I tell you about earthly things, how would you ever trust what I say if I were to tell you about heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, [even] the Son of man, which is in heaven.
No one has gone up to heaven, but the Son of man came down from heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of man must be lifted up,
that everyone who trusts in him will have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
For God loved the world, and this is how: he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who trusts in him shouldn't die, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.
God didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Those who trust in him are not condemned, while those who don't trust in him are condemned already because they didn't trust in the one and only Son of God.
19 And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
This is how the decision is made: the light came to the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light, for their actions were evil.
20 For every one that doeth ill hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.
All those who do evil hate the light and don't come into the light, because they don't want their actions to be exposed.
21 But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.
But those who do good come into the light, so that what God accomplishes in them can be revealed.”
22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea and spent some time with the people, baptizing them.
23 And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to be baptized.
24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
(This was before John was imprisoned.)
25 There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purifying.
An argument developed between John's disciples and a Jew over ceremonial purification.
26 And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
They went to John and told him, “Rabbi, the man you were with on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you testified in support of—see, now he's baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.
“No one receives anything unless they're given it from heaven,” John replied.
28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.
“You yourselves can testify that I declared, ‘I'm not the Messiah. I've been sent to prepare his way.’
29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
The bridegroom is the one who has the bride! The best man waits, listening for the bridegroom, and is so happy when he hears the bridegroom's voice—in the same way my happiness is now complete.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
He must become more important, and I must become less important.”
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
He who comes from above is greater than all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about earthly things. He who comes from heaven is greater than all.
32 What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness; and no man receiveth his witness.
He gives evidence about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what he has to say.
33 He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to [this], that God is true.
Yet anyone who accepts what he says confirms that God is truthful.
34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure.
For the one God sent speaks God's words, because God doesn't restrict the Spirit.
35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. (aiōnios g166)
Anyone who trusts in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to trust the Son will not experience eternal life but remains under God's condemnation. (aiōnios g166)
