John 3
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish ruling council.
2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him.”
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.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “Unless you are reborn, you can't experience God's kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
“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!”
5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
“I tell you the truth, you can't enter God's kingdom unless you are born of water and the Spirit,” Jesus told him.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
“What's born of the flesh is flesh, and what's born of the Spirit is Spirit.
7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’
Don't be surprised at my telling you, ‘You must be reborn.’
8 The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
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.”
9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?”
“How is this possible?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and don’t understand these things?
“You're a famous teacher in Israel, and yet you don't understand such things?” Jesus replied.
11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know and testify of that which we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness.
“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.
12 If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
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?
13 No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
No one has gone up to heaven, but the Son of man came down from heaven.
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so the Son of man must be lifted up,
that everyone who trusts in him will have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
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)
17 For God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
God didn't send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn’t believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.
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.
19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil.
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.
20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.
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.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God.”
But those who do good come into the light, so that what God accomplishes in them can be revealed.”
22 After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized.
After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea and spent some time with the people, baptizing them.
23 John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized;
John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there and people kept coming to be baptized.
24 for John was not yet thrown into prison.
(This was before John was imprisoned.)
25 Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.
An argument developed between John's disciples and a Jew over ceremonial purification.
26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
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!”
27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
“No one receives anything unless they're given it from heaven,” John replied.
28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’
“You yourselves can testify that I declared, ‘I'm not the Messiah. I've been sent to prepare his way.’
29 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. Therefore my joy is made full.
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.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
He must become more important, and I must become less important.”
31 “He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
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.
32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
He gives evidence about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts what he has to say.
33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.
Yet anyone who accepts what he says confirms that God is truthful.
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.
For the one God sent speaks God's words, because God doesn't restrict the Spirit.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
36 One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” (aiōnios g166)
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)
