John 3:22-36

New International Version

John Testifies Again About Jesus

²²After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.^(A) ²³Now John^(B) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴(This was before John was put in prison.)^(C) ²⁵An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.^(D) ²⁶They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,^(E) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified^(F) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

²⁷To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’^(G) ²⁹The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(H) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^(I) ³⁰He must become greater; I must become less.”^[a]

³¹The one who comes from above^(J) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(K) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³²He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(L) but no one accepts his testimony.^(M) ³³Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴For the one whom God has sent^(N) speaks the words of God, for God^[b] gives the Spirit^(O) without limit. ³⁵The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^(P) ³⁶Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(Q) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

John 3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
John 3:34 Greek he

Ecclesiastes 7:15-29

New International Version

¹⁵In this meaningless life^(A) of mine I have seen both of these:

the righteous perishing in their righteousness,
    and the wicked living long in their wickedness.^(B)
¹⁶Do not be overrighteous,
    neither be overwise—
    why destroy yourself?
¹⁷Do not be overwicked,
    and do not be a fool—
    why die before your time?^(C)
¹⁸It is good to grasp the one
    and not let go of the other.
    Whoever fears God^(D) will avoid all extremes.^[a]

¹⁹Wisdom^(E) makes one wise person more powerful^(F)
than ten rulers in a city.

²⁰Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous,^(G)
no one who does what is right and never sins.^(H)

²¹Do not pay attention to every word people say,
or you^(I) may hear your servant cursing you—
²²for you know in your heart
that many times you yourself have cursed others.

²³All this I tested by wisdom and I said,

“I am determined to be wise”^(J)—
    but this was beyond me.
²⁴Whatever exists is far off and most profound—
    who can discover it?^(K)
²⁵So I turned my mind to understand,
    to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things^(L)
and to understand the stupidity of wickedness
    and the madness of folly.^(M)

²⁶I find more bitter than death
    the woman who is a snare,^(N)
whose heart is a trap
    and whose hands are chains.
The man who pleases God will escape her,
    but the sinner she will ensnare.^(O)

²⁷“Look,” says the Teacher,^[b]^(P) “this is what I have discovered:

“Adding one thing to another to discover the scheme of things—
²⁸    while I was still searching
    but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
    but not one upright woman^(Q) among them all.
²⁹This only have I found:
    God created mankind upright,
    but they have gone in search of many schemes.”