< John 3 >

1 There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
Na he tangata tera no nga Parihi, ko Nikorima tona ingoa, he rangatira no nga Hurai:
2 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.”
Ka haere mai tenei ki a Ihu i te po, ka mea ki a ia, E Rapi, e matau ana matou i haere mai koe i te Atua hei kaiwhakaako, ina hoki e kore tetahi tangata e ahei te mea i enei merekara e meatia nei e koe, ki te kahore te Atua i a ia.
3 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]!”
Ka whakahoki a Ihu, ka mea ki a ia, he pono, he pono, taku e mea nei ki a koe, Ki te kahore te tangata e whanau hou, e kore ia e ahei te kite i te rangatiratanga o te Atua.
4 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]”
Ka mea a Nikorima ki a ia, Me pehea ka whanau ai te tangata i tona koroheketanga? e taea ranei te tuarua o nga haerenga ki roto ki te kopu o tona whaea, whanau mai ai?
5 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].
Ka whakahokia e Ihu, He pono, he pono taku e mea nei ki a koe, Ki te kahore te tangata e whanau i te wai, i te Wairua hoki, e kore ia e ahei te tomo ki te rangatiratanga o te Atua.
6 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].
Ko ta te kikokiko e whanau ai he kikokiko; ko ta te Wairua e whanau ai he wairua.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
Aua ra e miharo ki taku i mea nei ki a koe, he mea tuturu tenei kia whanau hou koutou.
8 [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].”
E pupuhi ana te hau ki tana wahi e pai ai, ka rongo hoki koe ki tona haruru, otiia e kore e mohiotia e koe te wahi i puta mai ai, e tae atu ai ranei: ko te ritenga tenei ki te hunga katoa ka whanau i te Wairua.
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
Ka whakahoki a Nikorima, ka mea ki a ia, Me pehea ka taea ai enei mea?
10 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]
Ka whakahoki a Ihu, ka mea ki a ia, Ko koe te Kaiwhakaako o Iharaira, a kahore i matau ki enei mea?
11 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].
He pono, he pono taku e mea nei ki a koe, E korerotia ana e matou ta matou i matau ai, e whakaaturia ana ta matou i kite ai; heoi, e kore koutou e tango ki ta matou whakaaturanga.
12 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]
Ki te mea kua korerotia e ahau ki a koutou nga mea o te whenua, a kahore koutou e whakapono, me pehea ka whakapono ai ki te korerotia e ahau ki a koutou nga mea o te rangi?
13 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].
Kahore hoki he tangata i kake noa ki te rangi, ko ia anake i heke iho i te rangi, ara ko te Tama a te tangata, e noho mai nei i te rangi.
14 [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].
Ka rite hoki ki ta Mohi whakairinga i te nakahi i te koraha, kua takoto te tikanga kia pera te whakairinga o te Tama a te tangata.
15 As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
Kia kahore ai e ngaro te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia, engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu. (aiōnios g166)
16 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)
Koia ano te aroha o te Atua ki te ao, homai ana e ia tana Tama kotahi, kia kahore ai e ngaro te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia, engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu. (aiōnios g166)
17 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].
Kihai hoki te Atua i tono mai i tana Tama ki te ao ki te whakahe i te ao; engari kia ora ai te ao i a ia.
18 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].
Ko ia e whakapono ana ki a ia, e kore e tau te he ki a ia: tena ko ia e kore e whakapono, kua whakahengia noatia ake, mona kihai i whakapono ki te ingoa o te Tama kotahi a te Atua.
19 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].
Ko te whakahenga hoki tenei, no te mea kua tae mai nei te marama ki te ao, a nui atu to nga tangata aroha ki te pouri i to ratou ki te marama, he kino hoki no a ratou mahi.
20 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].
E kino ana hoki ki te marama nga kaimahi katoa i te kino, e kore ano hoki e haere mai ki te marama, kei whakakitea a ratou mahi.
21 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.
Tena ko te kaimahi i te pono, e haere mai ana ki te marama, kia kitea ai ana mahi, he mea mahi i roto i te Atua.
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
A no muri i enei mea ka haere a Ihu, ratou ko ana akonga, ki te whenua o Huria; a noho tahi ana ratou ki reira, me tana iriiri ano.
23 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}.
Na i te iriiri ano hoki a Hoani ki Enona, ki tetahi wahi e tata ana ki Harema, no te mea he nui te wai o reira: a ka haere mai ratou, ka iriiria.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
Kahore ano hoki a Hoani i panga ki te whare herehere.
25 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].
Na ka ara he totohe a nga akonga a Hoani ki tetahi Hurai mo te purenga.
26 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]!”
A ka haere ratou ki a Hoani, ka mea ki a ia, E Rapi, ko te tangata i tawahi na korua o Horano, ko tau i whakaatu mai na, nana, kei te iriiri ia, e haere ana hoki te katoa ki a ia.
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
Ka whakahoki a Hoani, ka mea, E kore tetahi mea e riro i te tangata, ki te kore e homai ki a ia i te rangi.
28 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.
Ko koutou hei kaiwhakaae ki ahau, ki taku meatanga, Ehara ahau i a te Karaiti, engari i tonoa mai ahau i mua i a ia.
29 [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].
Ko te tangata i te wahine marena hou, ko ia te tane marena hou: na ko te hoa o te tane marena hou, e tu ana, e rongo ana ki a ia, ka hari pu ki te reo o te tane marena hou: na reira i tutuki ai tenei hari oku.
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
Ko te tikanga tenei, ko ia kia nui haere, ko ahau kia iti haere.
31 [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.
Ko ia e haere mai ana i runga, kei runga ake ia i te katoa: ko to te whenua no te whenua ia, no te whenua ano ana korero: ko ia e haere mai ana i te rangi, kei runga ake ia i te katoa.
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
A ko tana i kite ai, i rongo ai, ko ia tana e whakaatu ai: kahore hoki tetahi tangata e tango atu ki tana whakaaturanga.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Ki te manako tetahi ki tana whakaaturanga, kua piri tana tohu ki te pono o ta te Atua.
34 [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].
Ko ta te Atua i tono mai ai, e korero ana ia i nga kupu a te Atua: kahore hoki te Wairua e homai e te Atua i runga i te mehua.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
E aroha ana te Matua ki te Tama, kua hoatu ano nga mea katoa ki tona ringa.
36 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)
Ko ia e whakapono ana ki te Tama, he ora tonu tona: ko ia e kore e whakapono ki te Tama, e kore e kite i te ora; engari ka mau tonu te riri a te Atua ki a ia. (aiōnios g166)

< John 3 >