約翰福音 3

耶穌和尼哥德慕談重生

1 有一個法利賽人，名叫尼哥德慕，是猶太人的官。 2 這人夜裏來見耶穌，對他說：「拉比，我們知道你是由上帝那裏來作老師的；因為你所行的神蹟，若沒有上帝同在，無人能行。」 3 耶穌回答他說：「我實實在在地告訴你，人若不重生t，就不能見上帝的國。」 4 尼哥德慕對他說：「人已經老了，如何能重生呢？豈能再進母腹生出來嗎？」 5 耶穌回答：「我實實在在地告訴你，人若不是從水和聖靈生的，就不能進上帝的國。 6 從肉身生的就是肉身；從靈生的就是靈。 7 我說『你們必須重生』，你不要驚訝。 8 風t隨著意思吹，你聽見風的聲音，卻不知道是從哪裏來，往哪裏去；凡從聖靈生的也是如此。」 9 尼哥德慕問他：「怎麼能有這些事呢？」 10 耶穌回答，對他說：「你是以色列人的老師，還不明白這些事嗎？ 11 我實實在在地告訴你，我們所說的是我們知道的，我們所見證的是我們見過的，你們卻不領受我們的見證。 12 我對你們說地上的事，你們尚且不信，若對你們說天上的事，如何能信呢？ 13 除了從天降下t的人子，沒有人升過天。 14 摩西在曠野怎樣舉蛇，人子也必須照樣被舉起來， 15 要使一切信他的人都得永生。

16 「上帝愛世人，甚至將他獨一的兒子t賜給他們，叫一切信他的人不致滅亡，反得永生。 17 因為上帝差他的兒子到世上來，不是要定世人的罪t，而是要使世人因他得救。 18 信他的人不被定罪；不信的人已經被定罪了，因為他不信上帝獨一兒子的名。 19 光來到世上，世人因自己的行為是惡的，不愛光，倒愛黑暗，這就定了他們的罪。 20 凡作惡的人都恨惡光，不來接近光，恐怕他的行為被暴露。 21 但實行真理的人就來接近光，為要顯明他的行為是靠上帝而行的。」

耶穌和施洗約翰

22 這些事以後，耶穌和門徒到了猶太地區，在那裏他和他們同住，並且施洗。 23 約翰也在靠近撒冷的哀嫩施洗，因為那裏水多，眾人都去受洗。 24 那時約翰還沒有下在監裏。

25  約翰的門徒和一個猶太人辯論潔淨的禮儀， 26 就來見約翰，對他說：「拉比，從前同你在約旦河的東邊，你所見證的那位，你看，他在施洗，眾人都到他那裏去了。」 27 約翰回答說：「若不是從天上賜的，人就不能得到甚麼。 28 你們自己可以為我作見證，我曾說，我不是基督，只是奉差遣在他前面開路的。 29 娶新娘的是新郎；新郎的朋友站在一旁聽，一聽見新郎的聲音就歡喜快樂。因此，我這喜樂得以滿足了。 30 他必興旺；我必衰微。」

從天上來的那一位

31 「從上頭來的是在萬有之上；出於地的是屬於地，他所說的也是屬於地。從天上來的是在萬有之上。 32 他把所見所聞的見證出來，只是沒有人領受他的見證。 33 那領受他見證的，就印證上帝是真實的。 34 上帝所差來的說上帝的話，因為上帝所賜給他的聖靈是沒有限量的。 35 父愛子，已把萬有交在他手裏。 36 信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不到永生，而且上帝的憤怒常在他身上。」

JOHN 3

Jesus and Nicodemus

1 There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader.

2 One night he went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from abovet before you can see God's kingdom!”

4 Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”

5 Jesus answered:
I tell you for certain that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. 6 Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God. 7 Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above.

8 Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going.

9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied:
How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? 11 I tell you for certain we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say.

12 t If you don't believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?
13  t No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. 14 t And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as the metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert.t

15 Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.
16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

18 No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.
19 The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. 20 People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done.

21 But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.

Jesus and John the Baptist

22 Later, Jesus and his disciples went to Judea, where he stayed with them for a while and was baptizing people.

23-24  t John had not yet been put in jail. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was a lot of water, and people were coming there for John to baptize them.
25 John's followers got into an argument with a Jewish mant about a ceremony of washing.t

26 They went to John and said, “Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him.”

27 John replied:
No one can do anything unless God in heaven allows it.

28 t You surely remember how I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of him.
29 At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just to be there and to hear the groom's voice. That's why I am so glad.

30 Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.

The One Who Comes //from Heaven

31 God's Son comes from heaven and is above all others. Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all others. 32 He speaks about what he has seen and heard, and yet no one believes him. 33 But everyone who does believe him has shown that God is truthful.

34 The Son was sent to speak God's message, and he has been given the full power of God's Spirit.
35  t The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. 36 Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever.