John 3
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council.
Now there was one of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews.
2 He came at night to where Jesus was and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God, for nobody could do the miraculous signs you're doing unless God was with him.”
This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him. "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent from God; for no man can do these signs which you are continually doing, unless God is with him."
3 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “Unless you are reborn, you can't experience God's kingdom.”
"In very truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "that unless a man is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4 “How can you be reborn when you're old?” Nicodemus asked. “You can't go back into your mother's womb and be born a second time!”
"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus replied; "Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?"
5 “I tell you the truth, you can't enter God's kingdom unless you are born of water and the Spirit,” Jesus told him.
"I tell you solemnly," Jesus answered, "that unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 “What's born of the flesh is flesh, and what's born of the Spirit is Spirit.
What is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Don't be surprised at my telling you, ‘You must be reborn.’
Marvel not at my telling you, ‘You must all be born again from above.’
8 The wind blows wherever it wants, and just as you hear the sound it makes, but don't know where it's coming from or where it's going, that's how it is for everyone who is born of the spirit.”
The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with every one who has been born of the Spirit."
9 “How is this possible?” Nicodemus asked.
"How can this be?" said Nicodemus in reply.
10 “You're a famous teacher in Israel, and yet you don't understand such things?” Jesus replied.
"Are you the Teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?" said Jesus.
11 “I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know and give evidence regarding what we have seen, but you refuse to accept our testimony.
"Most solemnly I tell you we are speaking of what we know, and it is about that of which we were eyewitnesses that we give testimony. Yet all of you reject our testimony.
12 If you don't trust what I say when I tell you about earthly things, how would you ever trust what I say if I were to tell you about heavenly things?
If I have told you earthly things and yet none of you believe me, how will you believe if I tell you concerning heavenly things?
13 No one has gone up to heaven, but the Son of man came down from heaven.
There is no one gone up to heaven, except the One who came down from heaven - the Son of man himself.
14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of man must be lifted up,
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,
in order that every one who believes in him may have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
16 For God loved the world, and this is how: he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who trusts in him shouldn't die, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever trusts in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 God didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.
18 Those who trust in him are not condemned, while those who don't trust in him are condemned already because they didn't trust in the one and only Son of God.
He who trusts in him is not condemned, but he who does not trust has already been condemned, because he has not put his trust in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 This is how the decision is made: the light came to the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light, for their actions were evil.
And this is the condemnation, that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 All those who do evil hate the light and don't come into the light, because they don't want their actions to be exposed.
For every one who practises wrong hates light, and does not come to the light, lest his actions be exposed;
21 But those who do good come into the light, so that what God accomplishes in them can be revealed.”
but he who does what is true, comes to the light, in order that his actions may be shown to have been wrought in God."
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea and spent some time with the people, baptizing them.
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the countryside of Judea, and there he was staying with them and baptizing.
23 John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to be baptized.
John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there were many streams there, and people kept coming to receive baptism.
24 (This was before John was imprisoned.)
(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)
25 An argument developed between John's disciples and a Jew over ceremonial purification.
Then some of John’s disciples got into a controversy with a Jew in regard to purification; so they came to John and said to him.
26 They went to John and told him, “Rabbi, the man you were with on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you testified in support of—see, now he's baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”
"Rabbi, see! The man who was with you on the other side of Jordan, and to whom you yourself have borne testimony, is now baptizing, and everybody is coming to him."
27 “No one receives anything unless they're given it from heaven,” John replied.
In reply John said. "A man cannot obtain anything unless it has been granted to him from heaven.
28 “You yourselves can testify that I declared, ‘I'm not the Messiah. I've been sent to prepare his way.’
You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but have been sent before him.’
29 The bridegroom is the one who has the bride! The best man waits, listening for the bridegroom, and is so happy when he hears the bridegroom's voice—in the same way my happiness is now complete.
He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So then this joy of mine has now complete fulfilment.
30 He must become more important, and I must become less important.”
He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He who comes from above is greater than all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and talks about earthly things. He who comes from heaven is greater than all.
"He that comes from above is above all; but one who is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaks. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32 He gives evidence about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what he has to say.
He bears testimony to what he has heard and seen, yet no one receives his testimony.
33 Yet anyone who accepts what he says confirms that God is truthful.
Whoever does receive it has set his seal that God is true.
34 For the one God sent speaks God's words, because God doesn't restrict the Spirit.
For he whom God sent utters the words of God; for God does not give the Spirit sparingly.
35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
the Father loves the Son and has committed everything into his hands.
36 Anyone who trusts in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to trust the Son will not experience eternal life but remains under God's condemnation. (aiōnios g166)
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who disobeys the Son shall not see life, but he who disobeys the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him." (aiōnios g166)
