John 3
English Standard Version
You Must Be Born Again
3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named (A)Nicodemus, (B)a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] (C)by night and said to him, (D)“Rabbi, (E)we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do (F)unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is (G)born (H)again[b] he cannot (I)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 one is born (J)of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 (K)That which is born of the flesh is (L)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 (M)Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born (N)again.’ 8 (O)The wind[e] blows (P)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, (Q)“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel (R)and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, (S)we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but (T)you[f] do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 (U)No one has (V)ascended into heaven except (W)he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g] 14 And (X)as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man (Y)be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes (Z)in him (AA)may have eternal life.[h]
For God So Loved the World
16 “For (AB)God so loved (AC)the world,[i] (AD)that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not (AE)perish but have eternal life. 17 For (AF)God did not send his Son into the world (AG)to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 (AH)Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (AI)believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 (AJ)And this is the judgment: (AK)the light has come into the world, and (AL)people loved the darkness rather than the light because (AM)their works were evil. 20 (AN)For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, (AO)lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever (AP)does what is true (AQ)comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John the Baptist Exalts Christ
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and (AR)was baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for (AS)John had not yet been put in prison).
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over (AT)purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, (AU)“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, (AV)to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and (AW)all are going to him.” 27 John answered, (AX)“A person cannot receive even one thing (AY)unless it is given him (AZ)from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, (BA)‘I am not the Christ, but (BB)I have been sent before him.’ 29 (BC)The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. (BD)The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, (BE)rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 (BF)He must increase, but I must decrease.”[j]
31 (BG)He who comes from above (BH)is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and (BI)speaks in an earthly way. (BJ)He who comes from heaven (BK)is above all. 32 (BL)He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, (BM)yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony (BN)sets his seal to this, (BO)that God is true. 34 For he whom (BP)God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit (BQ)without measure. 35 (BR)The Father loves the Son and (BS)has given all things into his hand. 36 (BT)Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; (BU)whoever does not obey the Son shall not (BV)see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Footnotes
- John 3:2 Greek him
- John 3:3 Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7
- John 3:6 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
- John 3:7 The Greek for you is plural here
- John 3:8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
- John 3:11 The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12
- John 3:13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven
- John 3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15
- John 3:16 Or For this is how God loved the world
- John 3:30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36
Yohana 3
Neno: Bibilia Takatifu
Nikodemo Amwendea Yesu Usiku
3 Kiongozi mmoja wa Wayahudi wa kundi la Mafarisayo aitwaye Nikodemo, 2 alimjia Yesu usiku akamwambia, “Rabi, tunafahamu kuwa wewe ni mwalimu uliyetumwa na Mungu; kwa maana hakuna mtu awezaye kufanya miujiza hii uifanyayo, kama Mungu hayupo pamoja naye.”
3 Yesu akamjibu, “Ninakwambia hakika, mtu asipozaliwa mara ya pili, hawezi kuuona Ufalme wa Mungu.”
4 Nikodemo akasema, “Inawezekanaje mtu mzima azaliwe? Anaweza kuingia tena katika tumbo la mama yake na kuzaliwa mara ya pili?”
5 Yesu akamwambia, “Ninakuambia hakika, kama mtu hakuzaliwa kwa maji na kwa Roho hawezi kuingia katika Ufalme wa Mungu. 6 Mtu huzaliwa kimwili na wazazi wake, lakini mtu huzaliwa kiroho na Roho wa Mungu. 7 Kwa hiyo usishangae ninapokuambia kwamba huna budi kuzaliwa mara ya pili. 8 Upepo huvuma po pote upendapo. Mvumo wake unausikia lakini huwezi ukafahamu utokako wala uen dako. Ndivyo ilivyo kwa kila mtu aliyezaliwa kwa Roho.” 9 Nikodemo akamwuliza, “Mambo haya yanawezekanaje?” 10 Yesu akamwambia, “Wewe ni mwalimu mashuhuri wa Waisraeli na huyaelewi mambo haya? 11 Ninakwambia kweli, sisi tunazungumza lile tunalo lijua na tunawashuhudia lile tuliloliona, lakini hamtaki kutu amini! 12 Ikiwa hamuniamini ninapowaambia mambo ya duniani, mtaniaminije nitakapowaambia habari za mbinguni? 13 Hakuna mtu ye yote ambaye amewahi kwenda juu mbinguni isipokuwa mimi Mwana wa Adamu niliyeshuka kutoka mbinguni. 14 Na kama Musa alivyomwi nua yule nyoka kule jangwani, vivyo hivyo mimi Mwana wa Adamu sina budi kuinuliwa juu 15 ili kila mtu aniaminiye awe na uzima wa milele . 16 “Kwa maana Mungu aliupenda ulimwengu kiasi cha kumtoa Mwanae pekee, ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee, bali awe na uzima wa milele. 17 Maana Mungu hakumtuma Mwanae kuuhukumu ulimwengu bali auokoe ulimwengu. 18 Amwaminiye yeye hahukumiwi; asiyeamini amekwisha kuhukumiwa; kwa sababu hakumwamini Mwana pekee wa Mungu. 19 Na hukumu yenyewe ni kwamba: Nuru imekuja ulimwenguni lakini watu wakapenda giza kuliko nuru kwa sababu matendo yao ni maovu. 20 Kwa kuwa kila mtu atendaye maovu huchu kia nuru, wala hapendi kuja kwenye nuru ili matendo yake maovu yasifichuliwe. 21 Lakini kila mtu anayeishi maisha ya uaminifu huja kwenye nuru, kusudi iwe wazi kwamba matendo yake yanatokana na utii kwa Mungu.”
Yesu Na Yohana Mbatizaji
22 Baadaye, Yesu alikwenda katika jimbo la Yudea pamoja na wanafunzi wake akakaa nao kwa muda na pia akabatiza watu. 23 Yohana naye alikuwa akibatiza watu huko Ainoni karibu na Sal imu kwa sababu huko kulikuwa na maji mengi. Watu walikuwa wakim fuata huko naye akawabatiza. 24 Wakati huo Yohana alikuwa bado hajafungwa gerezani.
25 Ukazuka ubishi kati ya wanafunzi kadhaa wa Yohana na Myahudi mmoja kuhusu swala la kutawadha. 26 Basi wakamwendea Yohana wakamwambia, “Rabi, yule mtu aliyekuwa pamoja nawe nga’mbo ya pili ya mto wa Yordani, yule uliyeshuhudia habari zake, sasa anabatiza na kila mtu anamwendea!” 27 Yohana akawa jibu, “Mtu hawezi kuwa na kitu kama hakupewa na Mungu. 28 Ninyi wenyewe ni mashahidi wangu kwamba nilisema mimi si Kristo ila nimetumwa nimtangulie. 29 Bibi harusi ni wa bwana harusi. Lakini rafiki yake bwana harusi anayesimama karibu na kusikiliza, hufu rahi aisikiapo sauti ya bwana harusi. Sasa furaha yangu imekamil ika. 30 Yeye hana budi kuwa mkuu zaidi na mimi niwe mdogo zaidi.”
Aliyetoka Mbinguni
31 “Yeye aliyekuja kutoka mbinguni ni mkuu kuliko wote. Anayetoka duniani ni wa dunia, naye huzungumza mambo ya hapa duniani. Yeye aliyekuja kutoka mbinguni, yu juu ya watu wote. 32 Anayashuhudia yale aliyoyaona na kuyasikia lakini hakuna anayekubali maneno yake. 33 Lakini ye yote anayekubali maneno yake, anathibitisha kwamba aliyosema Mungu ni kweli. 34 Yeye aliyetumwa na Mungu husema maneno ya Mungu kwa maana Mungu amempa Roho wake pasipo kipimo. 35 Baba anampenda Mwanae na amempa mam laka juu ya vitu vyote. 36 Ye yote anayemwamini Mwana ana uzima wa milele; asiyemtii Mwana hatauona uzima bali ghadhabu ya Mungu itakuwa juu yake daima.”
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Copyright © 1989 by Biblica