John 3

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

1There was a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, one of the men who studied God's rules very carefully. He was also a leader of the Jewish people.

2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

2He came to Jesus at night. He said, "Rabbi, that means teacher, we know God sent you to teach us. No one could do the wonderful signs you do unless God was with him."

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

3Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth. A person must be born again. If he is not, he cannot see God's kingdom, where God is king."

4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

4Nicodemus said, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he go back inside his mother and be born a second time?"

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

5Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth. A person must be born of water and of the Spirit. If he is not, he cannot go into God's kingdom."

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

6A baby born from people is a person. Life born from the Spirit is spirit.

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

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

8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell 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 of it. But you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. Everyone born of the Spirit is like that.

Note"The wind bloweth where it listeth" means the wind blows wherever it wants to go.

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

9Nicodemus asked him, "How can these things happen?"

10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

10Jesus answered, "You are a teacher of Israel. Do you not understand these things?

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

11I am telling you the truth. We speak about what we know. We tell what we have seen. But you people do not accept what we say.

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

12I have told you about things here on earth, and you do not believe me. So how will you believe if I tell you about things in heaven?

13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

13No one has gone up into heaven. Only the One who came down from heaven has. He is the Son of Man, who is in heaven. Son of Man is a name Jesus used for himself.

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

14Moses once lifted up a bronze snake on a pole out in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must be lifted up.

NoteLong ago, when snakes were biting the people of Israel in the desert, God told Moses to put a bronze snake on a pole. Anyone who looked at it lived.

15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

15Then everyone who believes in him will not be lost. Instead, he will have life that lasts forever.

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

16God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. Then everyone who believes in him will not be lost. Instead, he will have life that lasts forever.

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

17God did not send his Son into the world to say the world is guilty. He sent him so the world could be saved through him.

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

18Whoever believes in him is not called guilty. But whoever does not believe is already called guilty. That is because he has not believed in the name of God's only Son.

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

19Here is the reason they are called guilty. The light came into the world. But people loved the dark more than the light, because the things they did were bad.

20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

20Everyone who does bad things hates the light. He will not come to the light. He does not want his deeds to be shown for what they are.

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

21But whoever lives by the truth comes to the light. Then it can be seen clearly that what he does is done with God.

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

22After this, Jesus and his followers went into the countryside of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized people, which means dipping them in water.

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

23John was baptizing too, at a place called Aenon, near Salim. There was plenty of water there. People kept coming to be baptized.

24For John was not yet cast into prison.

24This happened before John was put in prison.

25Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.

25Then John's followers began to argue with a Jewish man. They argued about washing to become clean for God.

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

26They came to John and said, "Teacher, remember the man who was with you across the Jordan River? You told us about him. Now he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him."

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

27John answered, "A person can only have what God in heaven gives him.

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

28You heard me say it yourselves. I am not the Christ, God's chosen King. I was sent ahead of him.

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

29The bride belongs to the bridegroom, the man she is marrying. The bridegroom's friend stands nearby and listens for him. He is very glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That gladness is mine, and now it is full.

30He must increase, but I must decrease.

30He must become greater. I must become smaller.

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

31The One who comes from above is over everyone. Anyone who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The One who comes from heaven is over everyone.

32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

32He tells what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says.

33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

33Whoever does accept it has shown that God tells the truth.

Note"Hath set to his seal" means he has put his mark on it, the way people once pressed a stamp into wax to show something was true.

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

34God sent him, so he speaks God's own words. God gives him the Spirit fully, with no limit.

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

35The Father loves the Son. He has put everything into his hands.

36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

36Whoever believes in the Son has life that lasts forever. Whoever says no to the Son will not see that life. God's anger stays on him.