John 3

(Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)

1NowG1161 there wasG1510 a manG444 ofG1537 theG3588 PhariseesG5330 namedG3686G846 NicodemusG3530, a leaderG758 of theG3588 JewsG2453. 2HeG3778 cameG2064 toG4314 Jesus at nightG3571 andG2532 saidG2036, “RabbiG4461, we knowG1492 thatG3754 You are a teacherG1320 who has comeG2064 fromG575 GodG2316. ForG1063 no oneG3762 couldG1410 performG4160 the signsG4592 YouG4771 are doingG4160 ifG1437 GodG2316 wereG1510 notG3361 withG3326 himG846.”

3JesusG2424 repliedG611G2532G2036G846, “TrulyG281, trulyG281, I tellG3004 youG4771, noG3756 oneG5100 canG1410 seeG3708 theG3588 kingdomG932 of GodG2316 unlessG1437G3361 he is bornG1080 againG509.1”

4“HowG4459 canG1410 a manG444 be bornG1080 when he isG1510 oldG1088?” NicodemusG3530 askedG3004. “Can heG3361G1410 enterG1525G1519 hisG846 mother’sG3384 wombG2836 a second timeG1208 to be bornG1080?”

5JesusG2424 answeredG611, “TrulyG281, trulyG281, I tellG3004 youG4771, noG3756 oneG5100 canG1410 enterG1525G1519 theG3588 kingdomG932 of GodG2316 unlessG1437G3361 he is bornG1080 ofG1537 waterG5204 andG2532 the SpiritG4151. 6FleshG4561 isG1510 bornG1080 ofG1537 fleshG4561, but spiritG4151 isG1510 bornG1080 ofG1537 theG3588 SpiritG4151. 7Do not be amazedG3361G2296 thatG3754 I saidG2036, ‘YouG47712 mustG1163 be bornG1080 againG509.’ 8TheG3588 windG4151 blowsG4154 whereG3699 it wishesG2309. You hearG191 itsG846 soundG5456, butG235 you do not knowG3756G1492 whereG4159 it comes fromG2064 or whereG4226 it is goingG5217. SoG3779 it isG1510 with everyoneG3956 bornG1080 ofG1537 theG3588 SpiritG4151.”

9“HowG4459 canG1410 thisG3778 beG1096?” NicodemusG3530 askedG611G2532G2036G846.

10“YouG4771 areG1510 Israel’sG2474 teacherG1320,” saidG611 JesusG2424G2532G2036G846, “andG2532 you do not understandG3756G1097 these thingsG3778? 11TrulyG281, trulyG281, I tellG3004 youG4771, we speakG2980 of whatG3739 we knowG1492, andG2532 we testifyG3140 to whatG3739 we have seenG3708, and yetG2532 you people do not acceptG3756G2983 ourG1473 testimonyG3141.

12IfG1487 I have toldG2036 you aboutG4771 earthlyG1919 thingsG3588 andG2532 you do not believeG3756G4100, howG4459 will you believeG4100 ifG1437 I tellG2036 you aboutG4771 heavenlyG2032 thingsG3588? 13No oneG3762 has ascendedG305 intoG1519 heavenG3772 exceptG1487G3361 theG3588 One who descendedG2597 fromG1537 heavenG3772—theG3588 SonG5207 of ManG444.3 14JustG2532 asG2531 MosesG3475 lifted upG5312 theG3588 snakeG3789 inG1722 theG3588 wildernessG2048, soG3779 theG3588 SonG5207 of ManG444 mustG1163 be lifted upG5312, 15thatG2443 everyoneG3956 whoG3588 believesG4100 inG1722 HimG846 may haveG2192 eternalG166 lifeG2222.4

16ForG1063 GodG2316 soG3779 lovedG25 theG3588 worldG2889 thatG5620 He gaveG1325 His one and onlyG34395 SonG5207, thatG2443 everyoneG3956 whoG3588 believesG4100 inG1519 HimG846 shall not perishG3361G622 butG235 haveG2192 eternalG166 lifeG2222. 17ForG1063 GodG2316 did notG3756 sendG649 His SonG5207 intoG1519 theG3588 worldG2889 toG2443 condemnG2919 theG3588 worldG2889, butG235 toG2443 saveG4982 theG3588 worldG2889 throughG1223 HimG846. 18WhoeverG3588 believesG4100 inG1519 HimG846 is not condemnedG3756G2919, butG1161 whoeverG3588 does not believeG3361G4100 has already been condemnedG2235G2919, becauseG3754 he has not believedG3361G4100 inG1519 theG3588 nameG3686 of God’sG2316 one and onlyG3439 SonG5207.

19AndG1161 thisG3778 isG1510 theG3588 verdictG2920: TheG3588 LightG5457 has comeG2064 intoG1519 theG3588 worldG2889, butG2532 menG444 lovedG25 theG3588 darknessG4655 ratherG3123 thanG2228 theG3588 LightG5457 becauseG1063 theirG846 deedsG2041 wereG1510 evilG4190. 20EveryoneG3956 whoG3588 doesG4238 evilG5337 hatesG3404 theG3588 LightG5457, andG2532 does notG3756 comeG2064 intoG4314 theG3588 LightG5457 for fear thatG2443G3361 hisG846 deedsG2041 will be exposedG1651. 21ButG1161 whoeverG3588 practicesG4160 theG3588 truthG225 comesG2064 intoG4314 theG3588 LightG5457, so thatG2443 it may be seen clearlyG5319 thatG3754 what heG846 has doneG2041 has beenG1510 accomplishedG2038 inG1722 GodG2316.”6

John’s Testimony about Jesus

22AfterG3326 thisG3778, JesusG2424 andG2532 HisG846 disciplesG3101 wentG2064 intoG1519 theG3588 JudeanG2453 countrysideG1093, where He spent some timeG1304 withG3326 themG846 andG2532 baptizedG907.

23NowG1161 JohnG2491 wasG1510 alsoG2532 baptizingG907 atG1722 AenonG137 nearG1451 SalimG4530, becauseG3754 the waterG5204 wasG1510 plentifulG4183 thereG1563, andG2532 people kept comingG3854 to be baptizedG907. 24(ForG1063 JohnG2491 had not yetG3768 beenG1510 thrownG906 intoG1519 prisonG5438.)

25ThenG3767 a disputeG2214 aroseG1096 betweenG1537 John’sG2491 disciplesG3101 and a certain JewG24537 overG4012 the issue of ceremonial washingG2512. 26SoG2532 John’s disciples cameG2064 toG4314 him andG2532 saidG2036G846, “LookG2400, RabbiG4461, theG3739 One who wasG1510 withG3326 youG4771 beyondG4008 theG3588 JordanG2446, the OneG3739 youG4771 testified aboutG3140—HeG3778 is baptizingG907, andG2532 everyoneG3956 is goingG2064 toG4314 HimG846.”

27JohnG2491 repliedG611G2532G2036, “A manG444 canG3756G1410 receiveG2983 only whatG3761G1520G1437G3361 isG1510 givenG1325 himG846 fromG1537 heavenG3772. 28YouG4771 yourselvesG846 can testifyG3140 thatG3754 I saidG2036, ‘IG1473 amG1510 notG3756 theG3588 ChristG5547, butG235 amG1510 sentG649 ahead ofG1715 HimG1565.’ 29TheG3588 brideG3565 belongs toG3588G2192G1510 the bridegroomG3566. TheG3588 friendG5384 of theG3588 bridegroomG3566 standsG2476 andG2532 listens forG191 himG846, and is overjoyedG5463G5479 to hear theG3588 bridegroom’sG3588G3566 voiceG5456. ThatG3767G3778 joyG5479 is mineG1699, and it is now completeG4137. 30HeG1565 mustG1163 increaseG837; IG1473 must decreaseG1642.

31TheG3588 One who comesG2064 from aboveG509 isG1510 aboveG1883 allG3956. TheG3588 one who isG1510 fromG1537 theG3588 earthG1093 belongsG1510 toG1537 theG3588 earthG1093 andG2532 speaksG2980 as one fromG1537 theG3588 earthG1093. TheG3588 One who comesG2064 fromG1537 heavenG3772 isG1510 aboveG1883 allG3956.8 32He testifiesG3140 toG3778 whatG3739 He has seenG3708 andG2532 heardG191, yetG2532 no oneG3762 acceptsG2983 HisG846 testimonyG3141. 33WhoeverG3588 acceptsG2983 HisG846 testimonyG3141 has certifiedG4972 thatG3754 GodG2316 isG1510 truthfulG227. 34ForG1063 theG3739 One whomG3588 GodG2316 has sentG649 speaksG2980 theG3588 wordsG4487 of GodG2316, forG1063 God givesG1325 theG3588 SpiritG4151 withoutG3756G1537 limitG3358.

35TheG3588 FatherG3962 lovesG25 theG3588 SonG5207 andG2532 has placedG1325 all thingsG3956 inG1722 HisG846 handsG5495. 36WhoeverG3588 believesG4100 inG1519 theG3588 SonG5207 hasG2192 eternalG166 lifeG2222. WhoeverG3588 rejectsG544 theG3588 SonG5207 will not seeG3756G3708 lifeG2222. InsteadG235, theG3588 wrathG3709 of GodG2316 remainsG3306 onG1909 himG846.”9