John, 3

1. There was one of the Pharisees called Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews,

1. Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicode'mus, a ruler of the Jews.

2. who came to Jesus by night and said, 'Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one could perform the signs that you do unless God were with him.'

2. 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 can do these signs that you do, unless God is with him."

3. Jesus answered: In all truth I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.

3. Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4. Nicodemus said, 'How can anyone who is already old be born? Is it possible to go back into the womb again and be born?'

4. Nicode'mus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

5. Jesus replied: In all truth I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born through water and the Spirit;

5. Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6. what is born of human nature is human; what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7. Do not be surprised when I say: You must be born from above.

7. Do not marvel that I said to you, `You must be born anew.'

8. The wind blows where it pleases; you can hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

8. The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes; so it is with every one who is born of the Spirit."

9. 'How is that possible?' asked Nicodemus.

9. Nicode'mus said to him, "How can this be?"

10. Jesus replied, 'You are the Teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things!

10. Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand this?

11. 'In all truth I tell you, we speak only about what we know and witness only to what we have seen and yet you people reject our evidence.

11. Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony.

12. If you do not believe me when I speak to you about earthly things, how will you believe me when I speak to you about heavenly things?

12. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13. No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of man;

13. No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended from heaven, the Son of man.

14. as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so must the Son of man be lifted up

14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up,

15. so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.

15. that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

16. For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

16. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

17. For God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

17. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

18. No one who believes in him will be judged; but whoever does not believe is judged already, because that person does not believe in the Name of God's only Son.

18. He who believes in him is not condemned; he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

19. And the judgement is this: though the light has come into the world people have preferred darkness to the light because their deeds were evil.

19. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20. And indeed, everybody who does wrong hates the light and avoids it, to prevent his actions from being shown up;

20. For every one who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21. but whoever does the truth comes out into the light, so that what he is doing may plainly appear as done in God.'

21. But he who does what is true comes to the light, that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been wrought in God.

22. After this, Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised.

22. After this Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea; there he remained with them and baptized.

23. John also was baptising at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there and were being baptised.

23. John also was baptizing at Ae'non near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were baptized.

24. For John had not yet been put in prison.

24. For John had not yet been put in prison.

25. Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew about purification,

25. Now a discussion arose between John's disciples and a Jew over purifying.

26. so they went to John and said, 'Rabbi, the man who was with you on the far side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore witness, is baptising now, and everyone is going to him.'

26. And they came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, here he is, baptizing, and all are going to him."

27. John replied: 'No one can have anything except what is given him from heaven.

27. John answered, "No one can receive anything except what is given him from heaven.

28. 'You yourselves can bear me out. I said, "I am not the Christ; I am the one who has been sent to go in front of him."

28. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.

29. 'It is the bridegroom who has the bride; and yet the bridegroom's friend, who stands there and listens to him, is filled with joy at the bridegroom's voice. This is the joy I feel, and it is complete.

29. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice; therefore this joy of mine is now full.

30. He must grow greater, I must grow less.

30. He must increase, but I must decrease."

31. He who comes from above is above all others; he who is of the earth is earthly himself and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven

31. He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth belongs to the earth, and of the earth he speaks; he who comes from heaven is above all.

32. bears witness to the things he has seen and heard, but his testimony is not accepted by anybody;

32. He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony;

33. though anyone who does accept his testimony is attesting that God is true,

33. he who receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.

34. since he whom God has sent speaks God's own words, for God gives him the Spirit without reserve.

34. For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for it is not by measure that he gives the Spirit;

35. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to his hands.

35. the Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.

36. Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who refuses to believe in the Son will never see life: God's retribution hangs over him.'

36. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.