Giovanni 3
1 Or v’era tra i Farisei un uomo, chiamato Nicodemo, un de’ capi de’ Giudei.
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 Egli venne di notte a Gesù, e gli disse: Maestro, noi sappiamo che tu sei un dottore venuto da Dio; perché nessuno può fare questi miracoli che tu fai, se Dio non è con lui.
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.”
3 Gesù gli rispose dicendo: In verità, in verità io ti dico che se uno non è nato di nuovo, non può vedere il regno di Dio.
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]!”
4 Nicodemo gli disse: Come può un uomo nascere quand’è vecchio? Può egli entrare una seconda volta nel seno di sua madre e nascere?
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]”
5 Gesù rispose: In verità, in verità io ti dico che se uno non è nato d’acqua e di Spirito, non può entrare nel regno di Dio.
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].
6 Quel che è nato dalla carne, è carne; e quel che è nato dallo Spirito, è spirito.
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].
7 Non ti maravigliare se t’ho detto: Bisogna che nasciate di nuovo.
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 Il vento soffia dove vuole, e tu ne odi il rumore, ma non sai né d’onde viene né dove va; così è di chiunque è nato dallo Spirito.
[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].”
9 Nicodemo replicò e gli disse: Come possono avvenir queste cose?
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Gesù gli rispose: Tu se’ il dottor d’Israele e non sai queste cose?
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]
11 In verità, in verità io ti dico che noi parliamo di quel che sappiamo, e testimoniamo di quel che abbiamo veduto; ma voi non ricevete la nostra testimonianza.
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].
12 Se vi ho parlato delle cose terrene e non credete, come crederete se vi parlerò delle cose celesti?
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]
13 E nessuno è salito in cielo, se non colui che è disceso dal cielo: il Figliuol dell’uomo che è nel cielo.
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].
14 E come Mosè innalzò il serpente nel deserto, così bisogna che il Figliuol dell’uomo sia innalzato,
[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].
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 Poiché Iddio ha tanto amato il mondo, che ha dato il suo unigenito Figliuolo, affinché chiunque crede in lui non perisca, ma abbia vita eterna. (aiōnios g166)
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)
17 Infatti Iddio non ha mandato il suo Figliuolo nel mondo per giudicare il mondo, ma perché il mondo sia salvato per mezzo di lui.
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].
18 Chi crede in lui non è giudicato; chi non crede è già giudicato, perché non ha creduto nel nome dell’unigenito Figliuol di Dio.
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].
19 E il giudizio è questo: che la luce è venuta nel mondo, e gli uomini hanno amato le tenebre più che la luce, perché le loro opere erano malvage.
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].
20 Poiché chiunque fa cose malvage odia la luce e non viene alla luce, perché le sue opere non siano riprovate;
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].
21 ma chi mette in pratica la verità viene alla luce, affinché le opere sue siano manifestate, perché son fatte in Dio.
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.
22 Dopo queste cose, Gesù venne co’ suoi discepoli nelle campagne della Giudea; quivi si trattenne con loro, e battezzava.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 Or anche Giovanni stava battezzando a Enon, presso Salim, perché c’era là molt’acqua; e la gente veniva a farsi battezzare.
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}.
24 Poiché Giovanni non era ancora stato messo in prigione.
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Nacque dunque una discussione fra i discepoli di Giovanni e un Giudeo intorno alla purificazione.
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].
26 E vennero a Giovanni e gli dissero: Maestro, colui che era con te di là dal Giordano, e al quale tu rendesti testimonianza, eccolo che battezza, e tutti vanno a lui.
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]!”
27 Giovanni rispose dicendo: L’uomo non può ricever cosa alcuna, se non gli è data dal cielo.
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 Voi stessi mi siete testimoni che ho detto: Io non sono il Cristo; ma son mandato davanti a lui.
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.
29 Colui che ha la sposa è lo sposo; ma l’amico dello sposo, che è presente e l’ascolta, si rallegra grandemente alla voce dello sposo; questa allegrezza che è la mia è perciò completa.
[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].
30 Bisogna che egli cresca, e che io diminuisca.
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 Colui che vien dall’alto è sopra tutti; colui che vien dalla terra è della terra e parla com’essendo della terra; colui che vien dal cielo è sopra tutti.
[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.
32 Egli rende testimonianza di quel che ha veduto e udito, ma nessuno riceve la sua testimonianza.
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 Chi ha ricevuto la sua testimonianza ha confermato che Dio è verace.
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 Poiché colui che Dio ha mandato, proferisce le parole di Dio; perché Dio non gli dà lo Spirito con misura.
[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].
35 Il Padre ama il Figliuolo, e gli ha dato ogni cosa in mano.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Chi crede nel Figliuolo ha vita eterna; ma chi rifiuta di credere al Figliuolo non vedrà la vita, ma l’ira di Dio resta sopra lui. (aiōnios g166)
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)
