Giovanni 3
1 Or v'era un uomo, d'infra i Farisei, il cui nome [era] Nicodemo, rettor de' Giudei.
There was a man named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish religious council. He belonged to the Pharisee [religious sect].
2 Costui venne a Gesù di notte, e gli disse: Maestro, noi sappiamo che tu sei un dottore venuto da Dio; poichè niuno può fare i segni che tu fai, se Iddio non è con 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 Gesù rispose, e gli disse: In verità, in verità, io ti dico, che se alcuno non è nato di nuovo, non può vedere il regno di Dio.
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 Nicodemo gli disse: Come può un uomo, essendo vecchio, nascere? può egli entrare una seconda volta nel seno di sua madre, e nascere?
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 Gesù rispose: In verità, in verità, io ti dico, che se alcuno non è nato d'acqua e di Spirito, non può entrare nel regno di Dio.
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 Ciò che è nato dalla carne è carne; ma ciò che è nato dallo Spirito è spirito.
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 Non maravigliarti ch'io ti ho detto che vi convien nascer di nuovo.
Do not be surprised about my telling you that you must be born again [and have a new life from God].
8 Il vento soffia ove egli vuole, e tu odi il suo suono, ma non sai onde egli viene, nè ove egli va; così è chiunque è nato dello Spirito.
[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 Nicodemo rispose, e gli disse: Come possono farsi queste cose?
Nicodemus replied to him, “How can that happen?”
10 Gesù rispose, e gli disse: Tu sei il dottore d'Israele, e non sai queste cose?
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 In verità, in verità, io ti dico, che noi parliamo ciò che sappiamo, e testimoniamo ciò che abbiamo veduto; ma voi non ricevete la nostra testimonianza.
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 Se io vi ho dette le cose terrene, e non credete, come crederete, se io vi dico le cose celesti?
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 Or niuno è salito in cielo, se non colui ch'è disceso dal cielo, [cioè] il Figliuol dell'uomo, ch'è nel cielo.
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 E come Mosè alzò il serpente nel deserto, così conviene che il Figliuol dell'uomo sia innalzato;
[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 Perciocchè Iddio ha tanto amato il mondo, ch'egli ha dato il suo unigenito Figliuolo, acciocchè chiunque crede in lui non perisca, ma abbia vita eterna. (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 Poichè Iddio non ha mandato il suo Figliuolo nel mondo, acciocchè condanni il mondo, anzi, acciocchè il mondo sia salvato per mezzo di 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 Chi crede in lui non sarà condannato, ma chi non crede già è condannato, perciocchè non ha creduto nel nome dell'unigenito Figliuol di Dio.
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 Or questa è la condannazione: che la luce è venuta nel mondo, e gli uomini hanno amate le tenebre più che la luce, perciocchè le loro opere erano malvage.
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 Poichè chiunque fa cose malvage odia la luce, e non viene alla luce, acciocchè le sue opere non sieno palesate.
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 Ma colui che fa opere di verità viene alla luce, acciocchè le opere sue sieno manifestate, perciocchè son fatte in Dio.
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 DOPO queste cose, Gesù, co' suoi discepoli, venne nel paese della Giudea, e dimorò quivi con loro, e battezzava.
Some time later Jesus and we disciples went to Judea district. He stayed with us there and [directed us as we] baptized people.
23 Or Giovanni battezzava anch'egli in Enon, presso di Salim, perciocchè ivi erano acque assai; e [la gente] veniva, ed era battezzata.
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 Poichè Giovanni non era ancora stato messo in prigione.
That happened before John was put {they put John} in prison.
25 Laonde fu mossa da' discepoli di Giovanni una quistione co' Giudei, intorno alla purificazione.
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 E vennero a Giovanni e gli dissero: Maestro, ecco, colui che era teco lungo il Giordano, a cui tu rendesti testimonianza, battezza, e tutti vengono a 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 Giovanni rispose e disse: L'uomo non può ricever nulla, se non gli è dato dal cielo.
John replied, “A person can become [important] only if God [MTY] permits it. [So] we [should not be jealous about Jesus being popular]!
28 Voi stessi mi siete testimoni ch'io ho detto: Io non sono il Cristo; ma ch'io son mandato davanti a 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 Colui che ha la sposa è lo sposo, ma l'amico dello sposo, che è presente, e l'ode, si rallegra grandemente della voce dello sposo; perciò, questa mia allegrezza è compiuta.
[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 Conviene ch'egli cresca, e ch'io diminuisca.
It is necessary for Jesus to become more important [by making more disciples than I have], and for me to become less [important].”
31 Colui che vien da alto è sopra tutti; colui ch'è da terra è di terra, e di terra parla; colui che vien dal cielo è sopra tutti;
[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 e testifica ciò ch'egli ha veduto ed udito; ma niuno riceve la sua testimonianza.
He tells people what he has seen and what he heard [in heaven], but very few people [HYP] listen to what he says.
33 Colui che ha ricevuta la sua testimonianza ha suggellato che Iddio è verace.
Those who have accepted what he has said verify that what God has said is true.
34 Perciocchè, colui che Iddio ha mandato parla le parole di Dio; poichè Iddio non [gli] dia lo Spirito a misura.
[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 Il Padre ama il Figliuolo, e gli ha data ogni cosa in mano.
God loves his Son, and has caused him to have control/power over everything.
36 Chi crede nel Figliuolo ha vita eterna, ma chi non crede al Figliuolo, non vedrà la vita, ma l'ira di Dio dimora sopra 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)
