約翰福音 3
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
論重生
3 有一個法利賽人名叫尼哥德慕，是猶太人的官。 2 一天晚上，他來見耶穌，說：「老師，我們知道你是上帝差來教導人的，因為如果沒有上帝的同在，沒有人能行你所行的神蹟。」
3 耶穌說：「我實實在在地告訴你，人若不重生[a]，就不能看見上帝的國。」
4 尼哥德慕說：「人老了，怎能重生呢？難道要再進母腹生一次嗎？」
5 耶穌說：「我實實在在地告訴你，人如果不是從水和聖靈生的，就不能進上帝的國。 6 從肉體生的還是肉體，從聖靈生的才是靈。 7 所以我說你們必須重生，你不要驚奇。 8 風隨意吹動，你聽見它的聲音，卻不知道它從哪裡來，往哪裡去。凡從聖靈生的人也是這樣。」
9 尼哥德慕又問：「這怎麼可能呢？」
10 耶穌說：「你是以色列人的教師，還不明白這事嗎？ 11 我實實在在地告訴你，我們所說的是自己知道的，所見證的是自己見過的，可是你們不肯接受我們的見證。 12 我對你們說地上的事，你們尚且不信，要是說天上的事，你們怎麼會信呢？ 13 除了從天上降下來的人子[b]以外，沒有人到過天上。 14 摩西在曠野怎樣舉起銅蛇，人子也必照樣被舉起來， 15 叫一切信祂的人都得到永生。
16 「因為上帝愛世人，甚至將祂獨一的兒子賜給他們，叫一切信祂的人不致滅亡，反得永生。 17 上帝差祂的兒子到世上來，不是要定世人的罪，而是要藉著祂的兒子拯救世人。 18 信祂的人不會被定罪，不信的人已經被定罪，因為他們不信上帝獨一的兒子。 19 光來到世上，世人因為自己的行為邪惡而不愛光，反愛黑暗，這就是他們被定罪的原因。 20 作惡的人恨光，不肯接近光，恐怕他們的罪行暴露出來。 21 但遵行真理的人喜歡接近光，好顯明他所做的是靠上帝做的。」
施洗者約翰論耶穌
22 這事之後，耶穌和門徒前往猶太地區，在那裡住下來給人施洗。 23-24 那時約翰還沒有入獄，他在靠近撒冷的哀嫩也給人施洗。那裡水多，眾人都去受洗。 25 約翰的門徒和一個猶太人為了潔淨的禮儀爭辯起來， 26 於是門徒來見約翰，說：「老師，你看，以前在約旦河對岸和你在一起、你為祂做見證的那位在給人施洗，眾人都去祂那裡了！」
27 約翰回答說：「除非是從天上賞賜下來的，否則人什麼都得不到。 28 你們自己可以為我做見證，我說過我不是基督，我只是奉差在祂前面預備道路的。 29 娶新娘的是新郎，站在旁邊的朋友聽見新郎的聲音，就會歡喜快樂。因此，我現在也心滿意足了。 30 祂必興旺，我必衰微。
31 「從天上來的，超越一切；從地上來的，屬於地，他所談論的也不外乎地上的事。那來自天上、超越萬物的， 32 要把所見所聞講給人聽，只是沒有人接受祂的見證。 33 但已經接受祂見證的人證實了上帝是真實的。 34 上帝所差來的，說的是上帝的話，因為上帝將聖靈無限量地賜給祂。 35 父愛子，已把萬物交在祂手裡。 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。」
John 3
Living Bible
3 1-2 After dark one night a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a member of the sect of the Pharisees, came for an interview with Jesus. “Sir,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miracles are proof enough of this.”
3 Jesus replied, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you are born again, you can never get into the Kingdom of God.”
4 “Born again!” exclaimed Nicodemus. “What do you mean? How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “What I am telling you so earnestly is this: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit,[a] he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. 6 Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven; 7 so don’t be surprised at my statement that you must be born again! 8 Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it will go next, so it is with the Spirit. We do not know on whom he will next bestow this life from heaven.”
9 “What do you mean?” Nicodemus asked.
10-11 Jesus replied, “You, a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? I am telling you what I know and have seen—and yet you won’t believe me. 12 But if you don’t even believe me when I tell you about such things as these that happen here among men, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven? 13 For only I, the Messiah,[b] have come to earth and will return to heaven again. 14 And as Moses in the wilderness lifted up the bronze image of a serpent on a pole, even so I must be lifted up upon a pole, 15 so that anyone who believes in me will have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son[c] so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
18 “There is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust him to save them. But those who don’t trust him have already been tried and condemned for not believing in the only Son of God. 19 Their sentence is based on this fact: that the Light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 They hated the heavenly Light because they wanted to sin in the darkness. They stayed away from that Light for fear their sins would be exposed and they would be punished. 21 But those doing right come gladly to the Light to let everyone see that they are doing what God wants them to.”
22 Afterwards Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and stayed for a while in Judea and baptized there.
23-24 At this time John the Baptist was not yet in prison. He was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. 25 One day someone began an argument with John’s disciples, telling them that Jesus’ baptism was best.[d] 26 So they came to John and said, “Master, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River—the one you said was the Messiah—he is baptizing too, and everybody is going over there instead of coming here to us.”
27 John replied, “God in heaven appoints each man’s work. 28 My work is to prepare the way for that man so that everyone will go to him. You yourselves know how plainly I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am here to prepare the way for him—that is all. 29 The crowds will naturally go to the main attraction[e]—the bride will go where the bridegroom is! A bridegroom’s friends rejoice with him. I am the Bridegroom’s friend, and I am filled with joy at his success. 30 He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.
31 “He has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. I am of the earth, and my understanding is limited to the things of earth. 32 He tells what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! 33-34 Those who believe him discover that God is a fountain of truth. For this one—sent by God—speaks God’s words, for God’s Spirit is upon him without measure or limit. 35 The Father loves this man because he is his Son, and God has given him everything there is. 36 And all who trust him—God’s Son—to save them have eternal life; those who don’t believe and obey him shall never see heaven, but the wrath of God remains upon them.”
Footnotes
- John 3:5 Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, or “Physical birth is not enough. You must be born spiritually.” This alternate paraphrase interprets “born of water” as meaning the normal process observed during every human birth. Some think this means water baptism.
- John 3:13 the Messiah, literally, “the Son of Man.”
- John 3:16 his only Son, or “the unique Son of God.” So also in v. 18.
- John 3:25 that Jesus’ baptism was best, literally, “about purification.”
- John 3:29 The crowds will naturally go to the main attraction, implied.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.