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].
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council.
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.”
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 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]!”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “Unless you are reborn, you can't experience God's kingdom.”
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]”
“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, “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].
“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 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].
“What's born of the flesh is flesh, and what's born of the Spirit is Spirit.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
Don't be surprised at my telling you, ‘You must be reborn.’
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].”
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 replied to him, “How can that happen?”
“How is this possible?” Nicodemus asked.
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]
“You're a famous teacher in Israel, and yet you don't understand such things?” Jesus replied.
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].
“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 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]
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 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].
No one has gone up to heaven, but the Son of man came down from heaven.
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].
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 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)
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 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].
God didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
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].
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 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].
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 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].
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 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.
But those who do good come into the light, so that what God accomplishes in them can be revealed.”
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea and spent some time with the people, baptizing them.
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 was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to be baptized.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
(This was before John was imprisoned.)
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].
An argument developed between John's disciples and a Jew over ceremonial purification.
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]!”
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 replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
“No one receives anything unless they're given it from heaven,” John replied.
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.
“You yourselves can testify that I declared, ‘I'm not the Messiah. I've been sent to prepare his way.’
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].
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 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
He must become more important, and I must become less important.”
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.
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 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
He gives evidence about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what he has to say.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Yet anyone who accepts what he says confirms that God is truthful.
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].
For the one God sent speaks God's words, because God doesn't restrict the Spirit.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
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)
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)
