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 above 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 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 No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. 14 And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as the metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. 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 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 man about a ceremony of washing. 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 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 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.
III.
Nikodems pi K. Jezus.
1 Storp farizejim beja vīns cylvāks, augstōs padūmes lūceklis, vōrdā Nikodems. 2 Tys atgōja pi Jō naktī, un Jam saceja: Mōceitōj, mes zynom, ka Tu kai skūlōtōjs atgōji nu Dīva; nivīns tadei navar dareit taidu breinumu, kaidus Tu dori, jo ar jū nabyutu Dīvs. 3 Jezus atbiļdēja un jam saceja: Patīši, patīši, Es tev soku, jo kas naatdzims nu jauna, tys Dīva vaļsteibas naredzēs. 4 Nikodems vaicōja: Kai gon cylvāks, byudams vacs, var atdzimt? Vai tad jys otkon var īīt sovas mōtes mīsā un pīdzimt? 5 Jezus atbiļdēja: Patīši, patīši, Es tev soku, kas naatdzims nu yudiņa un (Svātō) Gora, tys Dīva vaļsteibā īīt navar. 6 Kas paīt un mīsas, tys ir mīsa, kas nu Gora paīt, tys ir Gors. 7 Nasabreinoj, ka Es tev saceju: Jums ir nu jauna jōpīdzymst. 8 Vējs pyuš, kur grib; tu dzērdi jō šaļkšonu, bet nazini, nu kurīnes ceļās un uz kurīni traucās. Tai pat nūteik ar ikvīnu, kas pīdzymst nu Gora.
9 Nikodems atbyldādams Jam saceja: Kai tys var nūtikt? 10 Jezus atbiļdēja un jam saceja: Tu esi Izraeļa mōceitōjs un šytō nazini? 11 Patīši, patīši, Es tev soku, — mes runojam tū, kū zynom, un kū asam redzējuši, par tū līcynojam; bet jyus myusu līceibas nagrybat pījimt. 12 Jo jyus naticit tam, kū Es jums par vērszemes lītom stōstu, kai tad jyus ticēsit, ka Es jums par dabasu nūslāpumim runōšu?
13 Nivīns tadei nav uzkōpis dabasūs, izjamūt Tū, kas nu dabasim nūkōpe: Cylvāka Dāls (kurs ir dabasūs). 14 Kai Moizešs tuksnesī paaugstynōja čyusku, tai pat jōbyun paaugstynōtam Cylvāka Dālam, 15 lai ikvīns, kas Jam tic, (napazustu, bet) turātu myužeigū dzeivi.
16 Tadei Dīvs tai nūmīļōja pasauli, ka atdeve sovu vīnpīdzymušū Dālu, lai ikvīns, kas Jam tic, nazustu, bet turātu myužeigu dzeivi. 17 Tadei Dīvs sova Dāla nasyuteja uz pasauli, lai pasauli tīsōtu, bet gon, lai caur Jū pasauli izglōbtu. 18 Kas Jam tic, tys tīsōts natiks; bet kas natic, tys ir jau nūtīsōts, ka natic vīnpīdzymušō Dīva Dāla vōrdam. 19 Tys sprīdums pastōv tamā: uz pasauli atgōja gaisma, bet ļaudis vairōk nūmīļōja tymseibu na kai gaismu, jo ļauni beja jūs dorbi. 20 Tadei ikvīns, kas ļaunu dora, gaismas naīredz un pi gaismas naīt, lai natyktu palti jō dorbi. 21 Kas taisneigi dora, tys uz gaismu steidzās, ka jō dorbi toptu radzami, jo tī ikš Dīva padareiti.
K. Jezus Judeā.
22 Pēc tam Jezus ar sovim mōceklim aizgōja uz Judeas apgobolu, un tur, pi jim palīkūt, kristeja. 23 Ari Jōņs Enonā, Salima tyvumā, kristeja, jo tur beja daudz yudiņa, un ļaudis gōja un pījēme kristeibu. 24 Tūreiz Jōņs vēļ nabeja īslūdzeits cītumā.
25 Storp Jōņa mōceklim un jūdim izacēle streidi par škeisteišonu. 26 Jī atgōja pi Jōņa un jam saceja: Mōceitōj, Tys, kas pi tevis beja viņpus Jordana, kuram tu devi līceibu, raug, Tys ari krista, un visi īt uz Jū.
27 Jōņs atbiļdēja: Cylvāks nikō navar sasnēgt, jo jam nu dabasim nabyus dūts. 28 Jyus tadei poši varit aplīcynōt, ka es saceju: Es Kristus naasmu; es asmu tikai pyrms Jō syuteits. 29 Kam ir leigova, tys ir leigovaiņs. Leigovaiņa draugs, kas ir ar jū un klausōs, ļūti prīcojās par leigovaiņa bolsu. Taidu prīcu es atrodu vysā pylnumā. 30 Jam jōaug lelōkam, maņ jōsōc palikt mozokam.
31 Kas nu augstīnes nōk, tys ir par visim lelōks; bet kas paīt nu zemes, tys ir zemisks un zemiski runoj. Kas nu dabasim nōk, tys ir pōrōks par visim, 32 un kū ir dzērdējis un redzējis, tū līcynoj; bet tūmār jō līceibas nikas napījam. 33 Bet kas Jō līceibu pījam, tys aplīcynoj, ka Dīvs runoj taisneibu. 34 Kū Dīvs ir syutejis, Tys sludynoj Dīva vōrdus, jo Dīvs Goru dūd bez māra. 35 Tāvs mīļoj sovu Dālu un Jō rūkōs vysu ir atdevis. 36 Kas tic Dālam, tam ir myužeiga dzeivōšona; bet kas Dālam natic, tys dzeivōšonas naredzēs, bet gon Dīva dusme vērs jō paliks.
