John 3
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
Judah mite i lampui, a min Nicodemus a kici Pharisee khat om hi:
2 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.”
Ama sia Jesus kung ah zan ciang in hongpai a, Rabbi, nang sia Pathian kung pan in hongpai syapa ni hi, ci hong he khi hi: banghangziam cile na vawt nalamdang te sia Pathian in ompui ngawl hile, kuama in vawt thei ngawl hi, ci hi.
3 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]!”
Jesus in ama kung ah, Thuman, thutak in kong ci hi, mihing khat sia a suakkik bua ahile Pathian kumpingam a mu bua tu hi, ci in zo hi.
4 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]”
Nicodemus in, mihing khat a huai zawkciang bangbang in suakkik thei tu ziam? A nu ngil sung ah a ni vei na tum in suakkik tu ziam? ci hi.
5 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].
Jesus in, Aman tak in kong son hi, mihing khat sia tui le Thaa taw a suak bua a hile, Pathian kumpingam sung ah tum thei ngawl tu hi.
6 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].
Ci le sa taw a suak sia ci le sa hi; taciang Thaa taw a suak sia thaa a hihi.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
Na sua kik kul tu hi kong ci hangin, lamdang na sa heak in.
8 [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].”
Vui sia a uknapo pan in hongpai hi, taciang a nging za ni hi, ahihang kongpan hongpai a, koisang ah pai ziam, ci son thei ngawl ni hi: tasia bangma in Thaa taw a suak te zong tabangma a hihi, ci ni.
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
Nicodemus in, bangbang in hi thu te piang thei tu ziam? ci in zo hi.
10 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]
Jesus in zo a, Nangma sia Israel te sya khat hi napi, hi thu te he ngawl ni ziam?
11 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].
Aman tatak kong ci hi, kote ka hi uh le ka heak thu uh son khu hi, taciang ka mu uh thu te tettipang khu hi; taciang note in ka tetti pan uh sia hong sang ngawl nu hi.
12 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]
Leitung thu te kong son a, um ngawl na hile, bangbang in vantung thu te kong son ciang in um thei tu ni ziam?
13 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].
Van om a, van pan hong tuaksuk, mihing Tapa simngawl kuama van ah kato ngawl hi.
14 [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].
Moses in senneal ngam ah ngul a khai bang in, mihing Tapa zong ki khai tu hi:
A kuamapo Ama a um peuma, ki siacip ngawl tu a, tawntung nuntakna nei hi. (aiōnios g166)
16 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)
Banghangziam cile Pathian in leitung mite it mama ahikom a Tapa neisun pia hi, akuamapo Ama a um peuma kisia ngawl tu a, nuntak tawntungna nei hi. (aiōnios g166)
17 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].
Banghangziam cile Pathian in leitung mite mawsiat tu in a Tapa leitung ah hong paisak ngawl hi; ahihang Ama hang in leitung mite ngupna a nga natu in hongpaisak hi.
18 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].
Ama a um peuma mawsiat nataw kipeal hi: ahihang a um ngawl peuma sia mawsiatna thuak zo hi, banghangziam cile Pathian i a neisun a Tapa i min a up ngawl uh hang a hihi.
19 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].
Taciang hi thu sia mawsiatna hi, khuavak sia leitung ah hongpai a, mihing te in khuavak sang in khuazing dei zaw uh hi, banghangziam cile amate sep nate a phat ngawl hang a hihi.
20 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].
Banghangziam cile na pha ngawl a vawt peuma in khuavak sia ensan uh hi, tabang hi bale a vawtna te tung ah kitekna thuak tu uh hi.
21 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.
Ahihang thuman a seam peuma in, a sep uh po Pathian deina taw seam hi, ci kilangsak tu in khuavak sung ah hongpai uh hi, ci hi.
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
Hiteng zawkciang in Jesus le a nungzui te Judah ngamsung ah pai uh hi; tua mun ah amate taw omkhawm uh a, tuiphumna pia hi.
23 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}.
John zong Salim pan a nai na mun Aenon ah tuiphumna pia hi, banghangziam cile tua mun ah tui tam mama om hi: taciang amate hongpai uh a tui kiphum uh hi.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
Banghangziam cile John sia thong a tak laitak a hihi.
25 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].
Tua zawkciang in John i nungzui te le Judah mite kilaklaw ah ki thiansua na taw kisai thu dok na hong piang hi.
26 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]!”
Amate John kung ah hongpai uh a, Rabbi, Jordan ngunngal ah nangma taw om a, Ama thu tetti na pansak pa, en in, tua pa in tuiphumna pia a, mi theampo a kung ah pai uh hi, ci hi.
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
John in, vantung pan a ki pia simngawl mihing in bangma peuma sang thei ngawl hi.
28 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.
Keima sia Christ hi ngawl khi hi, ahihang Ama mai ah a ki sawlpa ka hihi, ka ci thu ah note ka tetti na hi uh hi.
29 [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].
Mo nei sia mopa a hihi: ahihang mopa a dinpui pa le, a aw a za a lawmpa sia, mopa i aw hang in nasiatak in lungdam hi: tua ahikom ka lungdamna pawlcing hi.
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
Ama sia puicing va-ial tu hi, ahihang kei ka hile ka kiam va-ial tu hi.
31 [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.
Tungsang pan hongpai pa sia na theampo i tung ah om hi: leitung pan hongpai pa sia leitung mi hi a, leitung thu son hi: vantung pan hongpai pa sia na theampo i tung ah a hihi.
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
Ama in a mu le a zak sa thu te son a, ama tettipan na sia kuama in sang ngawl hi.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Ama tettipan na a sang peuma in Pathian sia thuman hi, ci ama ceptena khen hi.
34 [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].
Banghangziam cile Pathian i sawl pa in Pathian thu te son hi: banghangziam cile Pathian in Thaa khaikhin in hong pia ngawl hi.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
Pa in Tapa it a, na theampo a khutsung ah pia zo hi.
36 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)
Tapa a um peuma tawntung nuntakna nei hi: Tapa a um ngawl peuma in nuntakna mu ngawl tu hi; ahihang Pathian thin-ukna a tung ah om tu hi, ci in zo hi. (aiōnios g166)
