John 3
1 There was however, a man from among the Pharisees, Nicodemus, his name, —ruler of the Jews.
Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a leading man among his people.
2 The same, came unto him, by night, and said unto him—Rabbi! we know that, from God, thou hast come, a teacher; for, no one, can be doing, these signs, which, thou, art doing, except, God, be with him.
This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus answered, and said unto him—Verily, verily, I say unto thee: Except one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
“In truth I tell you,” exclaimed Jesus, “unless a person is reborn, they cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus saith unto him—How, can a man be born, when he is, old? Can he, into the womb of his mother, a second time, enter, and be born?
“How can a person,” asked Nicodemus, “be born when they are old? Can they be born a second time?”
5 Jesus answered—Verily, verily, I say unto thee: Except one be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
“In truth I tell you,” answered Jesus, “unless a person owes their birth to water and Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which hath been born of the flesh, is, flesh, and, that which hath been born of the spirit, is, spirit.
All that owes its birth to human nature is human, and all that owes its birth to the Spirit is spiritual.
7 Do not marvel, that I said unto thee: Ye must needs be born from above.
Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn.
8 The spirit, where it pleaseth, doth breathe, and, the sound thereof, thou hearest; but knowest not, whence it cometh and whither it goeth: Thus, is every one who hath been born of the spirit.
The wind blows wherever it wants, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from, or where it goes; it is the same with everyone who owes his birth to the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered, and said unto him—How, can these things, come about?
“How can that be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 Jesus answered, and said unto him—Art, thou, the teacher of Israel, and, these things, knowest not?
“What! You a teacher of Israel,” exclaimed Jesus, “and yet do not understand this!
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee: What we know, we speak, and, of what we have seen, we bear witness, and, our witness, ye receive not.
In truth I tell you that we speak of what we know, and state what we have seen; and yet you do not accept our statements.
12 If, the earthly things, I told you, and ye believe not, How, if I should tell you the heavenly things, will ye believe?
If, when I tell you earthly things, you do not believe me, how will you believe me when I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And, no one, hath ascended into heaven, save he that, out of heaven, descended, —The Son of Man.
No one has ascended to heaven, except him who descended from heaven – the Son of Man himself.
14 And, just as, Moses, lifted up the serpent in the desert, so, must, the Son of Man, be lifted up, —
And, as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up;
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 For God, so loved, the world, that, his Only Begotten Son, he gave, —that, whosoever believeth on him, might not perish, but have life age-abiding. (aiōnios g166)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)
17 For God, sent not, his Son into the world, that he might judge the world, but, that the world might be saved through him.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.
18 He that believeth on him, is not to be judged: he that believeth not, already, hath been judged, —because he hath not believed on the name of the Only Begotten Son of God.
The person who believes in him escapes condemnation, while the person who does not believe in him is already condemned, because they have not believed in the only Son of God.
19 And, this, is the judgment: That, the light, hath come into the world, —and men loved, rather the darkness than the light, for, wicked, were their, works.
The ground of their condemnation is this, that though the light has come into the world, people preferred the darkness to the light, because their actions were wicked.
20 For, whosoever doth practise corrupt things, hateth the light, and cometh not unto the light, lest his works should be reproved;
For the person who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, fearing that their actions will be exposed;
21 But, he that doeth the truth, cometh unto the light, that his works may be, made manifest, that, in God, have they been wrought.
but the person who lives by the truth comes into the light, so it can be clearly seen that God is in all they do.
22 After these things, came Jesus, and his disciples, into the Judaean land; and, there, was he tarrying with them, and immersing.
After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the country parts of Judea; and there he stayed with them, and baptized.
23 And John also was immersing in Aenon, near to him, because, many waters, were there; and they were coming, and being immersed; —
John, also, was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there were many streams there; and people were constantly coming and being baptized.
24 for, not yet, had John been cast into prison.
(For John had not yet been imprisoned).
25 There arose, therefore, a questioning, from among the disciples of John, with a Jew, —concerning purification.
Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a fellow Jew on the subject of purification;
26 And they came unto John, and said unto him—Rabbi! he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, unto whom, thou, hast borne witness, see! the same, is immersing; and, all, are coming unto him.
and the disciples came to John and said, “Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, and to whom you have yourself borne testimony – he, also, is baptizing, and everybody is going to him.”
27 John answered, and said—A man can receive, nothing, except it have been given him out of heaven.
John’s answer was – “A person can gain nothing but what is given them from heaven.
28 Ye yourselves, unto me, bear witness, that, I, said—I, am not the Christ; but—I am sent before, That One.
You are yourselves witnesses that I said ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before him as a messenger.’
29 He that hath the bride, is, bridegroom; but, the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth by and hearkeneth unto him, greatly, rejoiceth, by reason of the voice of the bridegroom. This, my joy, therefore, is fulfilled.
It is the groom who has the bride; but the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens to him, is filled with joy when he hears the groom’s voice. This joy I have felt to the full.
30 That One, it behoveth to increase, —but, me, to decrease.
He must become greater, and I less.”
31 He that, from above, doth come, over all, is: he that is of the earth, of the earth, is, and, of the earth, doth speak: he that, out of heaven, doth come, over all, is,
He who comes from above is above all others; but a child of earth is earthly, and his teaching is earthly, too. He who comes from heaven is above all others.
32 What he hath seen and heard, of, the same, he beareth witness, —and, his witness, no one, receiveth: —
He states what he has seen and what he heard, and yet no one accepts his statement.
33 He that hath received his witness, hath set seal—that, God, is, true.
They who did accept his statement confirm the fact that God is true.
34 For, he whom God hath sent, the sayings of God, doth speak; for, not by measure, giveth he the Spirit.
For he whom God sent as his messenger gives us God’s own teaching, for God does not limit the gift of the Spirit.
35 The Father, loveth the Son, and, all things, hath given into his hand.
The Father loves his Son, and has put everything in his hands.
36 He that believeth on the Son, hath life age-abiding: whereas, he that yieldeth not unto the Son, shall not see life, —but, the anger of God, awaiteth him. (aiōnios g166)
The person who believes in the Son has eternal life, while a person who rejects the Son will not even see that life, but remains under God’s displeasure. (aiōnios g166)
