John 3
Common English Bible
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born anew,[a] it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus asked, “How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 God’s Spirit[b] blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?”
10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things? 11 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One.[c] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One[d] be lifted up 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. 16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. 17 God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son.
19 “This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil. 20 All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light. 21 Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God.”
John’s final witness
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea, where he spent some time with them and was baptizing. 23 John was baptizing at Aenon near Salem because there was a lot of water there, and people were coming to him and being baptized. (24 John hadn’t yet been thrown into prison.)
25 A debate started between John’s disciples and a certain Jew about cleansing rituals. 26 They came to John and said, “Rabbi, look! The man who was with you across the Jordan, the one about whom you testified, is baptizing and everyone is flocking to him.”
27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it is given from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said that I’m not the Christ but that I’m the one sent before him. 29 The groom is the one who is getting married. The friend of the groom stands close by and, when he hears him, is overjoyed at the groom’s voice. Therefore, my joy is now complete. 30 He must increase and I must decrease. 31 The one who comes from above is above all things. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all things. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever accepts his testimony confirms that God is true. 34 The one whom God sent speaks God’s words because God gives the Spirit generously. 35 The Father loves the Son and gives everything into his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever doesn’t believe in the Son won’t see life, but the angry judgment of God remains on them.”
约翰福音 3
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
人必須重生
3 有一個法利賽人，名叫尼哥德慕，是猶太人的官長。 2 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。” 3 耶穌回答：“我實實在在告訴你，人若不重生，就不能見 神的國。” 4 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？” 5 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。 6 從肉身生的就是肉身，從靈生的就是靈。 7 你不要因為我對你說‘你們必須重生’而感到希奇。 8 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。” 9 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。”
John 3
Modern English Version
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born again,[a] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can this be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, but you do not know these things? 11 Truly, truly I say to you, We speak of what We know and bear witness of what We have seen, but you do not receive Our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven except He who descended from heaven, even the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but may have eternal life.
16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned. But he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the verdict, that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that it may be revealed that his deeds have been done in God.”
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea. He remained with them there and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon toward Salim, because much water was there. And people came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been put in prison. 25 Then a dispute arose between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about ceremonial cleansing. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”
27 John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear witness of me, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but ‘I have been sent before Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
He Who Comes From Heaven
31 He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness of what He has seen and heard, yet no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure to Him. 35 The Father loves the Son, and has placed all things into His hand. 36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life. He who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Footnotes
- John 3:3 Or born from above.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.