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].
Or il y avait un homme parmi les pharisiens, nommé Nicodème, un des chefs des Juifs.
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.”
Cet homme vint la nuit à Jésus, et lui dit: Maître, nous savons que vous êtes venu de Dieu pour enseigner; car nul ne pourrait faire les prodiges que vous faites, si Dieu n’était avec lui.
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]!”
Jésus lui répondit et lui dit: En vérité, en vérité, je vous le dis, si quelqu’un ne naît de nouveau, il ne peut voir le royaume de Dieu.
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]”
Nicodème lui dit: Comment un homme peut-il naître quand il est vieux? Peut-il rentrer dans le sein de sa mère, et naître de nouveau?
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].
Jésus répondit: En vérité, en vérité, je te le dis, si quelqu’un ne renaît de l’eau et de l’Esprit-Saint, il ne peut entrer dans le royaume de Dieu.
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].
Ce qui est né de la chair est chair, et ce qui est né de l’esprit est esprit.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
Ne t’étonne point que je t’aie dit: Il faut que vous naissiez de nouveau,
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].”
L’esprit souffle où il veut: tu entends sa voix, mais tu ne sais d’où elle vient ni où elle va: ainsi en est-il de quiconque est né de l’esprit.
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
Nicodème répondit et lui dit: Comment cela se peut-il faire?
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]
Jésus répondit et lui dit: Tu es maître en Israël, et tu ignores ces choses?
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].
En vérité, en vérité, je te le dis, ce que nous savons, nous le disons, et ce que nous avons vu, nous l’attestons, et vous ne recevez pas notre témoignage.
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]
Si je vous dis les choses de la terre, et que vous ne croyiez point, comment croirez-vous, si je vous dis les choses du ciel?
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].
Car personne n’est monté au ciel que celui qui est descendu du ciel, le Fils de l’homme qui est dans le ciel.
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].
Et comme Moïse a élevé le serpent dans le désert, il faut de même que le Fils de l’homme soit élevé;
Afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse points mais qu’il ait la vie éternelle. (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)
Car Dieu a tellement aimé le monde, qu’il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu’il ait la vie éternelle. (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].
Car Dieu n’a pas envoyé son Fils dans le monde pour condamner le monde, mais pour que le monde soit sauvé par lui.
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].
Qui croit en lui n’est point condamné, mais qui ne croit point est déjà condamné, parce qu’il ne croit pas au nom du Fils unique de Dieu.
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].
Or cette condamnation vient de ce que la lumière a paru dans le monde, et que les hommes ont mieux aimé les ténèbres que la lumière, parce que leurs œuvres étaient mauvaises.
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].
Car quiconque fait le mal hait la lumière, et il ne vient point à la lumière, de peur que ses œuvres ne soient découvertes;
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.
Mais celui qui accomplit la vérité vient à la lumière, afin que ses œuvres soient manifestées, parce qu’elles ont été faites en Dieu.
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
Après cela, Jésus vint avec ses disciples dans la terre de Judée, et il y demeurait avec eux, et il baptisait.
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}.
Or Jean aussi baptisait à Ennon, près de Salim, parce qu’il y avait là beaucoup d’eau et on y venait, et on y était baptisé.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
Car Jean n’avait pas encore été mis en 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].
Or il s’éleva une question entre les disciples de Jean et les Juifs, touchant la 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]!”
Et ceux-là étant venus vers Jean, lui dirent: Maître, celui qui était avec vous au-delà du Jourdain, et à qui vous avez rendu témoignage, baptise maintenant, et tout le monde va à lui.
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
Jean répondit et dit: L’homme ne peut rien recevoir, s’il ne lui a été donné du ciel.
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.
Vous m’êtes témoins vous-mêmes, que j’ai dit: Ce n’est pas moi qui suis le Christ, mais j’ai été envoyé devant lui.
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].
Celui qui a l’épouse est l’époux; mais l’ami de l’époux, qui est présent et l’écoute, se réjouit de joie, à cause de la voix de l’épouse. Ma joie est donc maintenant à son comble.
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
Il faut qu’il croisse et que je diminue.
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.
Celui qui vient d’en haut est au-dessus de tous. Celui qui est sorti de la terre est de la terre et parle de la terre. Ainsi celui qui vient du ciel est au-dessus de tous.
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
Et il témoigne de ce qu’il a vu et entendu, et personne ne reçoit son témoignage.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Celui qui a reçu son témoignage a attesté que Dieu est véritable.
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].
Car celui que Dieu a envoyé dit les paroles de Dieu, parce que ce n’est pas avec mesure que Dieu lui donne son esprit.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
Le Père aime le Fils, et il a tout remis entre ses mains.
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)
Qui croit au Fils a la vie éternelle; mais qui ne croit point au Fils ne verra point la vie, mais la colère de Dieu demeure sur lui. (aiōnios g166)
