John 3
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
Now there was among the Pharisees a man named Nicodemus, who was one of the rulers of the Jews.
2 This man came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou have come a teacher from God, for no man can do these signs that thou do if God is not with him.
He came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we are certain that you have come from God as a teacher, because no man would be able to do these signs which you do if God was not with him.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to thee, If any man is not begotten from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus said to him, Truly, I say to you, Without a new birth no man is able to see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be begotten, being old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's belly, and be born?
Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for a man to be given birth when he is old? Is he able to go into his mother's body a second time and come to birth again?
5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to thee, If any man is not begotten from water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Jesus said in answer, Truly, I say to you, If a man's birth is not from water and from the Spirit, it is not possible for him to go into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is begotten from the flesh is flesh, and that which is begotten from the Spirit is spirit.
That which has birth from the flesh is flesh, and that which has birth from the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said to thee, ye must be begotten from above.
Do not be surprised that I say to you, It is necessary for you to have a second birth.
8 The wind blows where it will, and thou hear the sound of it, but know not from where it comes, and where it goes. So is every man who is begotten from the Spirit.
The wind goes where its pleasure takes it, and the sound of it comes to your ears, but you are unable to say where it comes from and where it goes: so it is with everyone whose birth is from the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things happen?
And Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for these things to be?
10 Jesus answered and said to him, Thou are the teacher of Israel, and do not understand these things?
And Jesus, answering, said, Are you the teacher of Israel and have no knowledge of these things?
11 Truly, truly, I say to thee, we speak that which we know, and testify of what we have seen, and ye do not accept our testimony.
Truly, I say to you, We say that of which we have knowledge; we give witness of what we have seen; and you do not take our witness to be true.
12 If I told you earthly things, and ye do not believe, how will ye believe if I should tell you heavenly things?
If you have no belief when my words are about the things of earth, how will you have belief if my words are about the things of heaven?
13 And no man has ascended into heaven, except he who came down out of heaven: the Son of man who is in heaven.
And no one has ever gone up to heaven but he who came down from heaven, the Son of man.
14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
As the snake was lifted up by Moses in the waste land, even so it is necessary for the Son of man to be lifted up:
15 so that every man who believes in him would not perish, but may have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
So that whoever has faith may have in him eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that every man who believes in him would not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God sent the Son into the world not that he might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.
God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.
18 He who believes in him is not condemned. He who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The man who has faith in him does not come up to be judged; but he who has no faith in him has been judged even now, because he has no faith in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their deeds were evil.
And this is the test by which men are judged: the light has come into the world and men have more love for the dark than for the light, because their acts are evil.
20 For every man who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be exposed.
The light is hated by everyone whose acts are evil and he does not come to the light for fear that his acts will be seen.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God.
But he whose life is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his acts have been done by the help of God.
22 After these things Jesus and his disciples came into the Judean country. And he remained there with them and immersed.
After these things Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judaea, and there he was with them for some time, giving baptism.
23 And John also was immersing in Aenon near Salim because there was much water there. And they came and were immersed.
Now John was then giving baptism at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were given baptism.
24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
For at this time John had not been put into prison.
25 Therefore a debate developed from John's disciples with the Jews about purification.
Then a question came up between John's disciples and a Jew about washing.
26 And they came to John, and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, about whom thou have testified, behold, this man immerses, and all men come to him.
And they went to John and said to him, Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the man to whom you gave witness, is now giving baptism, and everyone is going to him.
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven.
And this was John's answer: A man is unable to have anything if it is not given to him from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves testify that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent ahead of that man.
You yourselves give witness that I said, I am not the Christ. What I said was, I am sent before the Christ.
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. This therefore my joy is fulfilled.
He who has the bride is the husband: but the husband's friend, whose place is by his side and whose ears are open to him, is full of joy because of the husband's voice: such is my joy, and it is complete.
30 It is necessary for that man to increase, but me to decrease.
He has to become greater while I become less.
31 He who comes from above is above all things. He who is of the earth is of the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all things.
He who comes from heaven is greater than all others: he who comes from earth is of the earth, and of the earth are his words: he who comes from heaven is over all.
32 And what he has seen and heard, of this he testifies, and no man receives his testimony.
He gives witness of what he has seen and of what has come to his ears; and no man takes his witness as true.
33 He who has received his testimony has set a seal that God is true.
He who so takes his witness has made clear his faith that God is true.
34 For he whom God sent speaks the sayings of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
For he whom God has sent says God's words; and God does not give him the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
The Father has love for the Son and has put all things into his hands.
