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].
Había allí un hombre llamado Nicodemo, quien era un Fariseo y miembro del Concilio Supremo.
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.”
Él vino por la noche donde Jesús estaba y le dijo: “Rabí, sabemos que eres un maestro que ha venido de parte Dios, porque nadie podría hacer las señales milagrosas que tú estás haciendo a menos que Dios esté con él”.
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]!”
“Te digo la verdad” respondió Jesús, “A menos que vuelvas a nacer, no puedes experimentar el reino de Dios”.
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]”
“¿Cómo puede alguien volver a nacer, cuando ya es viejo?” preguntó Nicodemo. “¡Nadie puede regresar al vientre de su madre y nacer por segunda vez!”
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].
“Te digo la verdad, no puedes entrar al reino de Dios a menos que hayas nacido de agua y del Espíritu”, le dijo Jesús.
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].
“Lo que nace de la carne, es carne, y lo que nace del Espíritu, es Espíritu.
7 Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
No te sorprendas de que te dije: ‘Debes volver a nacer’.
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].”
El viento sopla hacia donde quiere y apenas se alcanza a escuchar el sonido que hace, pero no sabes de dónde viene ni hacia dónde va; así ocurre con todo aquél que nace del Espíritu”.
9 Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
“¿Cómo es esto posible?” preguntó Nicodemo.
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]
“Tu eres un maestro famoso en Israel, ¿y aún así no entiendes tales cosas?” respondió Jesús.
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].
“Te digo la verdad: nosotros hablamos de lo que sabemos y damos testimonio de lo que hemos visto, pero ustedes se niegan a aceptar nuestro testimonio.
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]
Si ustedes no creen lo que yo digo cuando les hablo de cosas terrenales, ¿cómo podrán creer si les hablara de cosas celestiales?
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].
Nadie ha subido al cielo, sino que el Hijo del hombre descendió del cielo.
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].
Del mismo modo que Moisés levantó la serpiente en el desierto, así debe ser levantado el Hijo del hombre,
de modo que todos los que confíen en él, tendrán vida eterna. (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)
“Porque Dios amó al mundo, y lo hizo de esta manera: entregó a su único Hijo, a fin de que todos los que crean en él no mueran, sino que tengan vida eterna. (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].
Dios no envió al Hijo al mundo para condenarlo, sino para salvar al mundo por medio de él.
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].
Aquellos que creen en él no están condenados, mientras que aquellos que no creen en él ya están condenados porque no creyeron en el único Hijo de Dios.
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].
Así es como se decide esto: la luz vino al mundo, pero las personas amaban las tinieblas más que a la luz, porque sus acciones eran malvadas.
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].
Todos los que hacen el mal odian la luz y no vienen a la luz, porque no quieren que sus acciones sean expuestas.
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.
Pero aquellos que hacen el bien vienen a la luz, para que se dé a conocer lo que Dios ha hecho en ellos”.
22 Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
Después de esto, Jesús y sus discípulos fueron a Judea y pasaron allí un tiempo con la gente, bautizándoles.
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}.
Juan también estaba bautizando en Enón, cerca de Salim, porque allí había mucha agua y las personas seguían viniendo para ser bautizadas.
24 That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
(Esto ocurrió antes de que metieran a Juan en la cárcel).
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].
Surgió un debate entre los discípulos de Juan y los judíos respecto a la purificación ceremonial.
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]!”
Ellos fueron donde Juan y le dijeron: “Rabí, el hombre con el que estabas al otro lado del Jordán, del cual diste un testimonio favorable, ¡mira, ahora está bautizando y todos están acudiendo a él!”
27 John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
“Nadie recibe nada a menos que le sea dado del cielo”, respondió Juan.
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.
“Ustedes mismos pueden testificar de que yo he declarado: ‘Yo no soy el Mesías. He sido enviado para preparar su camino’.
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].
¡El novio es quien se casa con la novia! El padrino espera y escucha al novio, y se alegra cuando escucha la voz de alegría del novio, así que ahora mi felicidad está completa.
30 It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
Él debe volverse más importante, y yo debo volverme menos importante”.
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.
El que viene de arriba es más grande que todos; el que viene de la tierra pertenece a la tierra y habla cosas terrenales. El que viene del cielo es más grande que todos.
32 He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
El da testimonio acerca de lo que ha visto y escuchado, pero nadie acepta lo que él viene a decir.
33 Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
Sin embargo, todo aquél que acepta lo que el dice, confirma que Dios habla la verdad.
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].
Porque el que Dios envió habla las palabras de Dios, porque Dios no limita al Espíritu.
35 God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
El Padre ama al Hijo y ha puesto todo en sus manos.
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)
Cualquiera que confía en el Hijo tiene vida eterna, pero cualquiera que se niega a creer en el Hijo, no experimentará vida eterna, sino que sigue bajo la condenación de Dios. (aiōnios g166)
