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].
nikadimanAmA yihUdIyAnAm adhipatiH phirUshI kShaNadAyAM
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.”
yIshaurabhyarNam Avrajya vyAhArShIt, he guro bhavAn IshvarAd Agat eka upadeShTA, etad asmAbhirj nAyate; yato bhavatA yAnyAshcharyyakarmmANi kriyante parameshvarasya sAhAyyaM vinA kenApi tattatkarmmANi karttuM na shakyante|
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]!”
tadA yIshuruttaraM dattavAn tavAhaM yathArthataraM vyAharAmi punarjanmani na sati kopi mAnava Ishvarasya rAjyaM draShTuM na shaknoti|
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]”
tato nikadImaH pratyavochat manujo vR^iddho bhUtvA kathaM janiShyate? sa kiM puna rmAtR^irjaTharaM pravishya janituM shaknoti?
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].
yIshuravAdId yathArthataram ahaM kathayAmi manuje toyAtmabhyAM puna rna jAte sa Ishvarasya rAjyaM praveShTuM na shaknoti|
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].
mAMsAd yat jAyate tan mAMsameva tathAtmano yo jAyate sa Atmaiva|
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
yuShmAbhiH puna rjanitavyaM mamaitasyAM kathAyAm AshcharyaM mA maMsthAH|
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].”
sadAgatiryAM dishamichChati tasyAmeva dishi vAti, tvaM tasya svanaM shuNoShi kintu sa kuta AyAti kutra yAti vA kimapi na jAnAsi tadvAd AtmanaH sakAshAt sarvveShAM manujAnAM janma bhavati|
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
tadA nikadImaH pR^iShTavAn etat kathaM bhavituM shaknoti?
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]
yIshuH pratyaktavAn tvamisrAyelo gururbhUtvApi kimetAM kathAM na vetsi?
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].
tubhyaM yathArthaM kathayAmi, vayaM yad vidmastad vachmaH yaMchcha pashyAmastasyaiva sAkShyaM dadmaH kintu yuShmAbhirasmAkaM sAkShitvaM na gR^ihyate|
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]
etasya saMsArasya kathAyAM kathitAyAM yadi yUyaM na vishvasitha tarhi svargIyAyAM kathAyAM kathaM vishvasiShyatha?
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].
yaH svarge. asti yaM cha svargAd avArohat taM mAnavatanayaM vinA kopi svargaM nArohat|
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].
apara ncha mUsA yathA prAntare sarpaM protthApitavAn manuShyaputro. api tathaivotthApitavyaH;
tasmAd yaH kashchit tasmin vishvasiShyati so. avinAshyaH san anantAyuH prApsyati| (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)
Ishvara itthaM jagadadayata yat svamadvitIyaM tanayaM prAdadAt tato yaH kashchit tasmin vishvasiShyati so. avinAshyaH san anantAyuH prApsyati| (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].
Ishvaro jagato lokAn daNDayituM svaputraM na preShya tAn paritrAtuM preShitavAn|
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].
ataeva yaH kashchit tasmin vishvasiti sa daNDArho na bhavati kintu yaH kashchit tasmin na vishvasiti sa idAnImeva daNDArho bhavati, yataH sa IshvarasyAdvitIyaputrasya nAmani pratyayaM na karoti|
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].
jagato madhye jyotiH prAkAshata kintu manuShyANAM karmmaNAM dR^iShTatvAt te jyotiShopi timire prIyante etadeva daNDasya kAraNAM bhavati|
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].
yaH kukarmma karoti tasyAchArasya dR^iShTatvAt sa jyotirR^ItIyitvA tannikaTaM nAyAti;
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.
kintu yaH satkarmma karoti tasya sarvvANi karmmANIshvareNa kR^itAnIti sathA prakAshate tadabhiprAyeNa sa jyotiShaH sannidhim AyAti|
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
tataH param yIshuH shiShyaiH sArddhaM yihUdIyadeshaM gatvA tatra sthitvA majjayitum Arabhata|
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}.
tadA shAlam nagarasya samIpasthAyini ainan grAme bahutaratoyasthitestatra yohan amajjayat tathA cha lokA Agatya tena majjitA abhavan|
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
tadA yohan kArAyAM na baddhaH|
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].
apara ncha shAchakarmmaNi yohAnaH shiShyaiH saha yihUdIyalokAnAM vivAde jAte, te yohanaH saMnnidhiM gatvAkathayan,
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]!”
he guro yarddananadyAH pAre bhavatA sArddhaM ya AsIt yasmiMshcha bhavAn sAkShyaM pradadAt pashyatu sopi majjayati sarvve tasya samIpaM yAnti cha|
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
tadA yohan pratyavochad IshvareNa na datte kopi manujaH kimapi prAptuM na shaknoti|
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.
ahaM abhiShikto na bhavAmi kintu tadagre preShitosmi yAmimAM kathAM kathitavAnAhaM tatra yUyaM sarvve sAkShiNaH stha|
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].
yo janaH kanyAM labhate sa eva varaH kintu varasya sannidhau daNDAyamAnaM tasya yanmitraM tena varasya shabde shrute. atIvAhlAdyate mamApi tadvad AnandasiddhirjAtA|
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
tena kramasho varddhitavyaM kintu mayA hsitavyaM|
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.
ya UrdhvAdAgachChat sa sarvveShAM mukhyo yashcha saMsArAd udapadyata sa sAMsArikaH saMsArIyAM kathA ncha kathayati yastu svargAdAgachChat sa sarvveShAM mukhyaH|
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
sa yadapashyadashR^iNochcha tasminneva sAkShyaM dadAti tathApi prAyashaH kashchit tasya sAkShyaM na gR^ihlAti;
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
kintu yo gR^ihlAti sa Ishvarasya satyavAditvaM mudrA NgitaM karoti|
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].
IshvareNa yaH preritaH saeva IshvarIyakathAM kathayati yata Ishvara AtmAnaM tasmai aparimitam adadAt|
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
pitA putre snehaM kR^itvA tasya haste sarvvANi samarpitavAn|
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)
yaH kashchit putre vishvasiti sa evAnantam paramAyuH prApnoti kintu yaH kashchit putre na vishvasiti sa paramAyuSho darshanaM na prApnoti kintvIshvarasya kopabhAjanaM bhUtvA tiShThati| (aiōnios g166)
