< yōhanaḥ 3 >

1 nikadimanāmā yihūdīyānām adhipatiḥ phirūśī kṣaṇadāyāṁ
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 yīśaurabhyarṇam āvrajya vyāhārṣīt, hē gurō bhavān īśvarād āgat ēka upadēṣṭā, ētad asmābhirjñāyatē; yatō bhavatā yānyāścaryyakarmmāṇi kriyantē paramēśvarasya sāhāyyaṁ vinā kēnāpi tattatkarmmāṇi karttuṁ na śakyantē|
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 tadā yīśuruttaraṁ dattavān tavāhaṁ yathārthataraṁ vyāharāmi punarjanmani na sati kōpi mānava īśvarasya rājyaṁ draṣṭuṁ na śaknōti|
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 tatō nikadīmaḥ pratyavōcat manujō vr̥ddhō bhūtvā kathaṁ janiṣyatē? sa kiṁ puna rmātr̥rjaṭharaṁ praviśya janituṁ śaknōti?
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 yīśuravādīd yathārthataram ahaṁ kathayāmi manujē tōyātmabhyāṁ puna rna jātē sa īśvarasya rājyaṁ pravēṣṭuṁ na śaknōti|
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 māṁsād yat jāyatē tan māṁsamēva tathātmanō yō jāyatē sa ātmaiva|
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 yuṣmābhiḥ puna rjanitavyaṁ mamaitasyāṁ kathāyām āścaryaṁ mā maṁsthāḥ|
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 sadāgatiryāṁ diśamicchati tasyāmēva diśi vāti, tvaṁ tasya svanaṁ śuṇōṣi kintu sa kuta āyāti kutra yāti vā kimapi na jānāsi tadvād ātmanaḥ sakāśāt sarvvēṣāṁ manujānāṁ janma bhavati|
[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 tadā nikadīmaḥ pr̥ṣṭavān ētat kathaṁ bhavituṁ śaknōti?
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 yīśuḥ pratyaktavān tvamisrāyēlō gururbhūtvāpi kimētāṁ kathāṁ na vētsi?
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 tubhyaṁ yathārthaṁ kathayāmi, vayaṁ yad vidmastad vacmaḥ yaṁcca paśyāmastasyaiva sākṣyaṁ dadmaḥ kintu yuṣmābhirasmākaṁ sākṣitvaṁ na gr̥hyatē|
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 ētasya saṁsārasya kathāyāṁ kathitāyāṁ yadi yūyaṁ na viśvasitha tarhi svargīyāyāṁ kathāyāṁ kathaṁ viśvasiṣyatha?
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 yaḥ svargē'sti yaṁ ca svargād avārōhat taṁ mānavatanayaṁ vinā kōpi svargaṁ nārōhat|
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 aparañca mūsā yathā prāntarē sarpaṁ prōtthāpitavān manuṣyaputrō'pi tathaivōtthāpitavyaḥ;
[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].
15 tasmād yaḥ kaścit tasmin viśvasiṣyati sō'vināśyaḥ san anantāyuḥ prāpsyati| (aiōnios g166)
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 īśvara itthaṁ jagadadayata yat svamadvitīyaṁ tanayaṁ prādadāt tatō yaḥ kaścit tasmin viśvasiṣyati sō'vināśyaḥ san anantāyuḥ prāpsyati| (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 īśvarō jagatō lōkān daṇḍayituṁ svaputraṁ na prēṣya tān paritrātuṁ prēṣitavān|
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 ataēva yaḥ kaścit tasmin viśvasiti sa daṇḍārhō na bhavati kintu yaḥ kaścit tasmin na viśvasiti sa idānīmēva daṇḍārhō bhavati, yataḥ sa īśvarasyādvitīyaputrasya nāmani pratyayaṁ na karōti|
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 jagatō madhyē jyōtiḥ prākāśata kintu manuṣyāṇāṁ karmmaṇāṁ dr̥ṣṭatvāt tē jyōtiṣōpi timirē prīyantē ētadēva daṇḍasya kāraṇāṁ bhavati|
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 yaḥ kukarmma karōti tasyācārasya dr̥ṣṭatvāt sa jyōtirr̥̄tīyitvā tannikaṭaṁ nāyāti;
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 kintu yaḥ satkarmma karōti tasya sarvvāṇi karmmāṇīśvarēṇa kr̥tānīti sathā prakāśatē tadabhiprāyēṇa sa jyōtiṣaḥ sannidhim āyāti|
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 tataḥ param yīśuḥ śiṣyaiḥ sārddhaṁ yihūdīyadēśaṁ gatvā tatra sthitvā majjayitum ārabhata|
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 tadā śālam nagarasya samīpasthāyini ainan grāmē bahutaratōyasthitēstatra yōhan amajjayat tathā ca lōkā āgatya tēna majjitā abhavan|
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 tadā yōhan kārāyāṁ na baddhaḥ|
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 aparañca śācakarmmaṇi yōhānaḥ śiṣyaiḥ saha yihūdīyalōkānāṁ vivādē jātē, tē yōhanaḥ saṁnnidhiṁ gatvākathayan,
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 hē gurō yarddananadyāḥ pārē bhavatā sārddhaṁ ya āsīt yasmiṁśca bhavān sākṣyaṁ pradadāt paśyatu sōpi majjayati sarvvē tasya samīpaṁ yānti ca|
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 tadā yōhan pratyavōcad īśvarēṇa na dattē kōpi manujaḥ kimapi prāptuṁ na śaknōti|
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 ahaṁ abhiṣiktō na bhavāmi kintu tadagrē prēṣitōsmi yāmimāṁ kathāṁ kathitavānāhaṁ tatra yūyaṁ sarvvē sākṣiṇaḥ stha|
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 yō janaḥ kanyāṁ labhatē sa ēva varaḥ kintu varasya sannidhau daṇḍāyamānaṁ tasya yanmitraṁ tēna varasya śabdē śrutē'tīvāhlādyatē mamāpi tadvad ānandasiddhirjātā|
[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 tēna kramaśō varddhitavyaṁ kintu mayā hsitavyaṁ|
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 ya ūrdhvādāgacchat sa sarvvēṣāṁ mukhyō yaśca saṁsārād udapadyata sa sāṁsārikaḥ saṁsārīyāṁ kathāñca kathayati yastu svargādāgacchat sa sarvvēṣāṁ mukhyaḥ|
[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 sa yadapaśyadaśr̥ṇōcca tasminnēva sākṣyaṁ dadāti tathāpi prāyaśaḥ kaścit tasya sākṣyaṁ na gr̥hlāti;
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 kintu yō gr̥hlāti sa īśvarasya satyavāditvaṁ mudrāṅgitaṁ karōti|
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 īśvarēṇa yaḥ prēritaḥ saēva īśvarīyakathāṁ kathayati yata īśvara ātmānaṁ tasmai aparimitam adadāt|
[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 pitā putrē snēhaṁ kr̥tvā tasya hastē sarvvāṇi samarpitavān|
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 yaḥ kaścit putrē viśvasiti sa ēvānantam paramāyuḥ prāpnōti kintu yaḥ kaścit putrē na viśvasiti sa paramāyuṣō darśanaṁ na prāpnōti kintvīśvarasya kōpabhājanaṁ bhūtvā tiṣṭhati| (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)

< yōhanaḥ 3 >