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].
Now there was one of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus--a ruler among the Jews.
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 to Jesus by night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God; for no one can do these miracles which you are doing, unless God is 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]!”
"In most solemn truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "that unless a man is born anew he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
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 is it possible," Nicodemus asked, "for a man to be born when he is old? Can he a second time enter his mother's womb and be born?"
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].
"In most solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
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].
Whatever has been born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever has been 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].
Do not be astonished at my telling you, 'You must all be born anew.'
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 where it chooses, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So is it with every one who has been born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
"How is all this possible?" asked Nicodemus.
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]
"Are you," replied Jesus, "'the Teacher of Israel,' and yet do you not understand these things?
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].
In most solemn truth I tell you that we speak what we know, and give testimony of that of which we were eye-witnesses, and yet you all reject 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 I have told you earthly things and none of you believe me, how will you believe me if I tell you of things in Heaven?
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].
There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in 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].
And just as Moses lifted high the serpent in the Desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
in order that every one who trusts in Him may have the Life of the Ages." (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 so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only Son, that every one who trusts in Him may not perish but may have the Life of Ages. (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].
For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved 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].
He who trusts in Him does not come up for judgement. He who does not trust has already received sentence, because he has not his trust resting on the name of God's only Son.
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].
And this is the test by which men are judged--the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than they loved the Light, because their deeds were wicked.
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].
For every wrongdoer hates the light, and does not come to the light, for fear his actions should be exposed and condemned.
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 he who does what is honest and right comes to the light, in order that his actions may be plainly shown to have been done in God.
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 Judaea; and there He made a stay in company with them and baptized.
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}.
And John too was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there were many pools of water there; and people came and received baptism.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
(For John was not yet in prison.)
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].
As the result, a discussion having arisen on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about 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 came to John and reported to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan and to whom you bore testimony is now baptizing, and great numbers of people are resorting 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]!
"A man cannot obtain anything," replied John, "unless it has been granted to him from Heaven.
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 bear witness to my having said, 'I am not the Christ,' but 'I am His appointed forerunner.'
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].
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; and the bridegroom's friend who stands by his side and listens to him, rejoices heartily on account of the bridegroom's happiness. Therefore this joy of mine 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 grow greater, but I must grow less.
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 above all. He whose origin is from the earth is not only himself from the earth, his teaching also is from the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above 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.
What He has seen and heard, to that He bears witness; but His testimony no one receives.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Any man who has received His testimony has solemnly declared that God is true.
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 He whom God has sent speaks God's words; for God does not give the Spirit with limitations."
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to 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)
He who believes in the Son has the Life of the Ages; he who disobeys the Son will not enter into Life, but God's anger remains upon him. (aiōnios g166)
