Jean 3
1 Mais il y eut un homme d’entre les pharisiens, nommé Nicodème, un chef des Juifs,
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 qui vint, lui, auprès de Jésus, de nuit, et lui dit: Rabbi, nous savons que tu es un docteur venu de Dieu; car personne ne peut faire ces miracles que tu fais, si Dieu n’est avec lui.
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.”
3 Jésus lui répondit: En vérité, en vérité, je te le dis, si un homme ne naît de nouveau, il ne peut voir le royaume de Dieu.
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]!”
4 Nicodème lui dit: Comment un homme peut-il naître quand il est vieux? Peut-il rentrer dans le sein de sa mère et naître?
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]”
5 Jésus répondit: En vérité, en vérité, je te le dis, si un homme ne naît d’eau et d’Esprit, il ne peut entrer dans le royaume de Dieu.
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].
6 Ce qui est né de la chair est chair, et ce qui est né de l’Esprit est esprit.
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].
7 Ne t’étonne pas que je t’aie dit: Il faut que vous naissiez de nouveau.
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 Le vent souffle où il veut, et tu en entends le bruit; mais tu ne sais d’où il vient, ni où il va. Il en est ainsi de tout homme qui est né de l’Esprit.
[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].”
9 Nicodème lui dit: Comment cela peut-il se faire?
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Jésus lui répondit: Tu es le docteur d’Israël, et tu ne sais pas ces choses!
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]
11 En vérité, en vérité, je te le dis, nous disons ce que nous savons, et nous rendons témoignage de ce que nous avons vu; et vous ne recevez pasnotre témoignage.
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].
12 Si vous ne croyez pas quand je vous ai parlé des choses terrestres, comment croirez-vous quand je vous parlerai des choses célestes?
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]
13 Personne n’est monté au ciel, si ce n’est celui qui est descendu du ciel, le Fils de l’homme qui est dans le ciel.
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].
14 Et comme Moïse éleva le serpent dans le désert, il faut de même que le Fils de l’homme soit élevé,
[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].
As a result, everyone who believes/trusts in me will have eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
16 Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu’il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point, mais qu’il ait la vie éternelle. (aiōnios g166)
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)
17 Dieu, en effet, n’a pas envoyé son Fils dans le monde pour qu’il juge le monde, mais pour que le monde soit sauvé par lui.
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].
18 Celui qui croit en lui n’est point jugé; mais celui qui ne croit pas est déjà jugé, parce qu’il n’a pas cru au nom du Fils unique de Dieu.
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].
19 Etce jugement c’est que, la lumière étant venue dans le monde, les hommes ont préféré les ténèbres à la lumière, parce que leurs œuvres étaient mauvaises.
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].
20 Car quiconque fait le mal hait la lumière, et ne vient point à la lumière, de peur que ses œuvres ne soient dévoilées;
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].
21 mais celui qui agit selon la vérité vient à la lumière, afin que ses œuvres soient manifestées, parce qu’elles sont faites en Dieu.
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.
22 Après cela, Jésus, accompagné de ses disciples, se rendit dans la terre de Judée; et là il demeurait avec eux, et il baptisait.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 Jean aussi baptisait à Énon, près de Salim, parce qu’il y avait là beaucoup d’eau; et on y venait pour être baptisé.
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}.
24 Car Jean n’avait pas encore été mis en prison.
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Or, il s’éleva de la part des disciples de Jean une dispute avec un Juif touchant la purification.
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].
26 Ils vinrent trouver Jean, et lui dirent: Rabbi, celui qui était avec toi au-delà du Jourdain, et à qui tu as rendu témoignage, voici, il baptise, et tous vont à lui.
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]!”
27 Jean répondit: Un homme ne peut recevoir que ce qui lui a été donné du ciel.
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 Vous-mêmes m’êtes témoins que j’ai dit: Je ne suis pas le Christ, mais j’ai été envoyé devant lui.
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.
29 Celui à qui appartient l’épouse, c’est l’époux; mais l’ami de l’époux, qui se tient là et qui l’entend, éprouve une grande joie à cause de la voix de l’époux: aussi cette joie, qui est la mienne, est parfaite.
[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].
30 Il faut qu’il croisse, et que je diminue.
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 Celui qui vient d’en haut est au-dessus de tous; celui qui est de la terre est de la terre, et il parle comme étant de la terre. Celui qui vient du ciel est au-dessus de tous,
[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.
32 il rend témoignage de ce qu’il a vu et entendu, et personne ne reçoit son témoignage.
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 Celui qui a reçu son témoignage a certifié que Dieu est vrai;
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 car celui que Dieu a envoyé dit les paroles de Dieu, parce que Dieu ne lui donne pas l’Esprit avec mesure.
[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].
35 Le Père aime le Fils, et il a remis toutes choses entre ses mains.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Celui qui croit au Fils a la vie éternelle; celui qui ne croit pas au Fils ne verra point la vie, mais la colère de Dieu demeure sur lui. (aiōnios g166)
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)
