John 3
As Moses Lifted the Serpent, So the Son Is Lifted
← John 2 · John: all chapters · John 4 →
Nicodemus
3:1Now there was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
3:2He came to Him at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3:3Jesus answered him, “Amen, amen, I tell you: unless someone is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
3:4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
3:5Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I tell you: unless someone is born from water and Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
3:6What is born from the flesh is flesh, and what is born from the Spirit is spirit.
3:7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You all must be born from above.’
3:8The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So it is with everyone born from the Spirit.”
3:9Nicodemus answered Him, “How can these things happen?”
3:10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do you not understand these things?
3:11Amen, amen, I tell you: we speak what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, and you all do not receive our testimony.
3:12If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
3:13And no one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.
3:14And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
3:15so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in Him.
For God Loved the World
3:16For God loved the world in this way: He gave the only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but have eternal life.
3:17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
3:18The one who believes in Him is not judged; but the one who does not believe has already been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.
3:19And this is the judgment: the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
3:20For everyone who practices base things hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
3:21But the one who does the truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be manifested, because they have been done in God.”
Jesus and John Baptizing
3:22After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the Judean countryside, and there He stayed with them and was baptizing.
3:23John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there, and people came and were baptized.
3:24For John had not yet been thrown into prison.
3:25Then a discussion arose from John’s disciples with a Jew concerning purification.
3:26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you testified—behold, He is baptizing, and everyone is coming to Him.”
3:27John answered, “A person can receive not even one thing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
3:28You yourselves bear witness for me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him.’
3:29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the bridegroom’s friend, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been fulfilled.
3:30He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One Who Comes from Above
3:31The One coming from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth. The One coming from heaven is above all.
3:32What He has seen and heard, this He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.
3:33The one who has received His testimony has set his seal that God is true.
3:34For the One whom God sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit without measure.
3:35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
3:36The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
← John 2 · John: all chapters · John 4 →
Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.