John 3

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a leader among the Jews.

2the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him.

2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. No one can perform the miraculous signs you are doing unless God is with him."

3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

3Jesus replied and told him, "I tell you the honest truth, unless a person is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

4Nicodemus saith unto 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?

4Nicodemus asked him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?"

5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the honest truth, unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

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

6Human life gives birth to human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew.

7Do not be surprised that I told you, 'You must be born again.'

8The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

8The wind blows wherever it wants. You hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone born of the Spirit."

9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

9Nicodemus asked him, "How can these things be possible?"

10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not these things?

10Jesus answered him, "You are a respected teacher in Israel, and you do not understand these things?

11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

11I tell you the honest truth, we speak about what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our witness.

12If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?

12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe me, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

13And no one hath ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.

13No one has ever gone up into heaven except the one who came down from heaven—the Son of Man, who is in heaven.

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

14Just as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, the Son of Man must also be lifted up,

15that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.

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

16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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

17For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

17God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.

18Anyone who believes in him is not judged, but anyone who does not believe has been judged already for not believing in the name of God’s only Son.

19And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.

19This is how the judgment works: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil.

20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved.

20Everyone who does evil hates the light and stays away from it, so that their sins will not be exposed.

21But he that doeth the truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been wrought in God.

21But those who do what is right come to the light, so it may be clearly seen that what they have done was done through God."

22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.

22After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized people.

23And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

23John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim because there was plenty of water there, and people kept coming to be baptized.

24For John was not yet cast into prison.

24(This happened before John was put in prison.)

25There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about purifying.

25An argument started between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.

26And they came unto John, and said to him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

26They came to John and said, "Teacher, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River—the one you testified about—is now baptizing, and everyone is going to him!"

27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.

27John answered, "A person can only receive what is given to him from heaven.

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

28You yourselves heard me say, 'I am not the Messiah, but I am the one sent ahead of him.'

29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, that standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is made full.

29The bride belongs to the groom. The groom’s friend stands and listens for him, and he is very happy when he hears the groom’s voice. That is my joy, and it is now complete.

30He must increase, but I must decrease.

30He must become more important, and I must become less important.

31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is of the earth, and of the earth he speaketh: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

31The one who comes from above is greater than everyone else. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is greater than all.

32What he hath seen and heard, of that he beareth witness; and no man receiveth his witness.

32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message.

33He that hath received his witness hath set his seal to this, that God is true.

33But anyone who does accept his message confirms that God is truthful.

34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for he giveth not the Spirit by measure.

34For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, because God gives the Spirit without limit.

35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

35The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.

36He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

36Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life, but anyone who does not obey the Son will not see life. Instead, God’s anger remains on them."