论重生

有一个法利赛人名叫尼哥德慕,是犹太人的官。 一天晚上,他来见耶稣,说:“老师,我们知道你是上帝差来教导人的,因为如果没有上帝的同在,没有人能行你所行的神迹。”

耶稣说:“我实实在在地告诉你,人若不重生[a],就不能看见上帝的国。”

尼哥德慕说:“人老了,怎能重生呢?难道要再进母腹生一次吗?”

耶稣说:“我实实在在地告诉你,人如果不是从水和圣灵生的,就不能进上帝的国。 从肉体生的还是肉体,从圣灵生的才是灵。 所以我说你们必须重生,你不要惊奇。 风随意吹动,你听见它的声音,却不知道它从哪里来,往哪里去。凡从圣灵生的人也是这样。”

尼哥德慕又问:“这怎么可能呢?”

10 耶稣说:“你是以色列人的教师,还不明白这事吗? 11 我实实在在地告诉你,我们所说的是自己知道的,所见证的是自己见过的,可是你们不肯接受我们的见证。 12 我对你们说地上的事,你们尚且不信,要是说天上的事,你们怎么会信呢? 13 除了从天上降下来的人子[b]以外,没有人到过天上。 14 摩西在旷野怎样举起铜蛇,人子也必照样被举起来, 15 叫一切信祂的人都得到永生。

16 “因为上帝爱世人,甚至将祂独一的儿子赐给他们,叫一切信祂的人不致灭亡,反得永生。 17 上帝差祂的儿子到世上来,不是要定世人的罪,而是要借着祂的儿子拯救世人。 18 信祂的人不会被定罪,不信的人已经被定罪,因为他们不信上帝独一的儿子。 19 光来到世上,世人因为自己的行为邪恶而不爱光,反爱黑暗,这就是他们被定罪的原因。 20 作恶的人恨光,不肯接近光,恐怕他们的罪行暴露出来。 21 但遵行真理的人喜欢接近光,好显明他所做的是靠上帝做的。”

施洗者约翰论耶稣

22 这事之后,耶稣和门徒前往犹太地区,在那里住下来给人施洗。 23-24 那时约翰还没有入狱,他在靠近撒冷的哀嫩也给人施洗。那里水多,众人都去受洗。 25 约翰的门徒和一个犹太人为了洁净的礼仪争辩起来, 26 于是门徒来见约翰,说:“老师,你看,以前在约旦河对岸和你在一起、你为祂做见证的那位在给人施洗,众人都去祂那里了!”

27 约翰回答说:“除非是从天上赏赐下来的,否则人什么都得不到。 28 你们自己可以为我做见证,我说过我不是基督,我只是奉差在祂前面预备道路的。 29 娶新娘的是新郎,站在旁边的朋友听见新郎的声音,就会欢喜快乐。因此,我现在也心满意足了。 30 祂必兴旺,我必衰微。

31 “从天上来的,超越一切;从地上来的,属于地,他所谈论的也不外乎地上的事。那来自天上、超越万物的, 32 要把所见所闻讲给人听,只是没有人接受祂的见证。 33 但已经接受祂见证的人证实了上帝是真实的。 34 上帝所差来的,说的是上帝的话,因为上帝将圣灵无限量地赐给祂。 35 父爱子,已把万物交在祂手里。 36 信子的人有永生;不信子的人得不到永生,上帝的烈怒常在他身上。”

Footnotes

  1. 3:3 重生”或译“生自上面”,7节同。
  2. 3:13 从天上降下来的人子”有古卷作:“从天降下、仍旧在天的人子”。

Jesus and Nicodemus

There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”

Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”[a]

“How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”

“I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again.[b] The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

“How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.

10 Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? 11 I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. 12 (A)You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 (B)And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”[c]

14 (C)As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.

Jesus and John

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon, not far from Salim, because there was plenty of water in that place. People were going to him, and he was baptizing them. (24 (D)This was before John had been put in prison.)

25 Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew[d] about the matter of ritual washing. 26 So they went to John and told him, “Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!”

27 John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it. 28 (E)You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.”

He Who Comes from Heaven

31 He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message. 33 But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful. 34 The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. 35 (F)The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.

Footnotes

  1. John 3:3 again; or from above.
  2. John 3:7 again; or from above.
  3. John 3:13 The quotation may continue through verse 21.
  4. John 3:25 a Jew; some manuscripts have some Jews.

人必須重生

有一個法利賽人,名叫尼哥德慕,是猶太人的官長。 他夜間來到耶穌那裡,對他說:“拉比,我們知道你是從 神那裡來的教師,因為如果沒有 神同在,你所行的這些神蹟,就沒有人能行。” 耶穌回答:“我實實在在告訴你,人若不重生,就不能見 神的國。” 尼哥德慕說:“人老了,怎能重生呢?難道他能再進母腹生出來嗎?” 耶穌回答:“我實實在在告訴你,人若不是從水和聖靈生的,就不能進 神的國。 從肉身生的就是肉身,從靈生的就是靈。 你不要因為我對你說‘你們必須重生’而感到希奇。 風隨意而吹,你聽見它的響聲,卻不知道它從哪裡來,往哪裡去;凡從聖靈生的,也是這樣。” 尼哥德慕說:“怎能有這事呢?” 10 耶穌說:“你是以色列人的教師,還不明白這事嗎? 11 我實實在在告訴你,我們知道的,才講論;見過的,就作證,然而你們卻不接受我們的見證。 12 我對你們講地上的事,你們尚且不信,如果講天上的事,怎能相信呢? 13 除了那從天上降下來的人子(有些抄本作“除了那從天上降下來仍舊在天上的人子”),沒有人升過天。 14 摩西在曠野怎樣把銅蛇舉起,人子也必照樣被舉起來, 15 使所有信他的人都得永生。

16 “ 神愛世人,甚至把他的獨生子賜給他們,叫一切信他的,不至滅亡,反得永生。 17 因為 神差他的兒子到世上來,不是要定世人的罪,而是要使世人藉著他得救。 18 信他的,不被定罪;不信的,罪已經定了,因為他不信 神獨生子的名。 19 光來到世上,世人因為自己的行為邪惡,不愛光倒愛黑暗,定他們罪的原因,就在這裡。 20 凡作惡的都恨光,不來接近光,免得他的惡行暴露出來。 21 凡行真理的,就來接近光,好顯明他所作的都是靠著 神而作的。”

他必興旺,我必衰微

22 這事以後,耶穌和門徒來到猶太地,他和他們住在那裡,並且施洗。 23 約翰也在靠近撒冷的艾嫩施洗,因為那裡水多;眾人都去受洗。 24 那時約翰還沒有入獄。 25 約翰的門徒和一個猶太人為潔淨禮發生辯論。 26 他們來到約翰那裡,對他說:“拉比,你看,從前和你在約旦河東,你為他作見證的那一位,他也在施洗,眾人都到他那裡去了。” 27 約翰回答:“除了從天上賜下來給他的,人就不能得到甚麼。 28 你們自己可以為我作證:我曾說,我不是基督,不過是奉差遣作他的先鋒的。 29 娶新娘的是新郎。新郎的好友站在那裡聽著,聽見新郎的聲音就非常喜樂。因此,我這喜樂滿溢了! 30 他必興旺,我必衰微。

從天上來的

31 “那從天上來的,是在萬有之上;從地上來的,是屬於地,所講的也是屬於地。那從天上來的,是超越萬有之上。 32 他把所見所聞的見證出來,可是沒有人接受他的見證。 33 那接受他的見證的,就確認 神是真的。 34  神所差來的那一位講 神的話,因為 神把聖靈無限地賜給他。 35 父愛子,已經把萬有交在他手裡。 36 信子的,有永生;不信從子的,必不得見永生, 神的震怒卻常在他身上。”