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.
1 Bet tur bija kāds cilvēks no farizejiem, vārdā Nikodēms, jūdu valdības vīrs. 2 Tas nāca pie Jēzus naktī un sacīja Viņam: "Rabi, mēs zinām, ka Tu esi Mācītājs, no Dieva nācis. Jo neviens nevar tādas zīmes darīt, kā Tu dari, ja Dievs nav ar to." 3 Jēzus atbildēja: "Patiesi, patiesi Es tev saku: ja cilvēks nepiedzimst no augšienes, neredzēt tam Dieva valstības." 4 Nikodēms saka Viņam: "Kā cilvēks var piedzimt, vecs būdams? Vai tad viņš var atgriezties savas mātes miesās un atkal piedzimt?" 5 Jēzus atbildēja: "Patiesi, patiesi Es tev saku: ja kāds neatdzimst ūdenī un Garā, netikt tam Dieva valstībā! 6 Kas no miesas dzimis, ir miesa, un, kas no Gara dzimis, ir gars. 7 Nebrīnies, ka Es tev esmu sacījis: tev jāpiedzimst no augšienes. 8 Vējš pūš kur gribēdams, un tu dzirdi viņu pūšam, bet nezini, no kurienes viņš nāk un kurp viņš iet. Tāpat ir ar ikvienu, kas piedzimis no Gara." 9 Nikodēms atbildēja un Viņam sacīja: "Kā tas var notikt?" 10 Jēzus atbildēja un viņam sacīja: "Tu esi Israēla mācītājs un to nezini? 11 Patiesi, patiesi Es tev saku: mēs runājam, ko zinām un liecinām, ko esam redzējuši, bet jūs mūsu liecību nepieņemat. 12 Ja jūs neticat, kad Es jums stāstu par zemes lietām, kā jūs ticēsit, kad Es jums stāstīšu par debess lietām? 13 Jo neviens nav uzkāpis debesīs kā vienīgi Tas, kas no debesīm nācis, Cilvēka Dēls. 14 Un, kā Mozus paaugstinājis čūsku tuksnesī, tāpat jātop paaugstinātam Cilvēka Dēlam, 15 lai ikviens, kas tic, Viņā iegūtu mūžīgo dzīvību. 16 Jo tik ļoti Dievs pasauli mīlējis, ka Viņš devis Savu vienpiedzimušo Dēlu, lai neviens, kas Viņam tic, nepazustu, bet dabūtu mūžīgo dzīvību, 17 jo Dievs Savu Dēlu nav sūtījis pasaulē, lai Tas pasauli tiesātu, bet lai pasaule caur Viņu tiktu glābta. 18 Kas tic Viņam, netiek tiesāts, bet, kas netic, ir jau spriedumu dabūjis, tāpēc ka nav ticējis Dieva vienpiedzimušā Dēla Vārdam. 19 Bet šī ir tā tiesa, ka gaisma ir nākusi pasaulē, bet cilvēkiem tumsība ir bijusi mīļāka par gaismu, tāpēc ka viņu darbi bija ļauni. 20 Jo ikviens, kas dara ļaunu, ienīst gaismu un nenāk pie gaismas, lai viņa darbi netiktu atklāti. 21 Bet, kas dara patiesību, nāk pie gaismas, lai būtu redzami viņa darbi, ka tie Dievā darīti." 22 Pēc tam Jēzus un Viņa mācekļi nogāja Jūdejas zemē. Tur Viņš ar tiem kādu laiku uzkavējās un kristīja. 23 Bet arī Jānis kristīja Ainonā netālu no Salimas, jo tur bija daudz ūdens; un ļaudis gāja un likās kristīties. 24 Jo Jānis vēl nebija iemests cietumā. 25 Tad izcēlās vārdu maiņa starp Jāņa mācekļiem un kādu jūdu par šķīstīšanos. 26 Tie griezās pie Jāņa un sacīja viņam: "Rabi, kas bija pie tevis viņpus Jordānas, par ko tu esi nodevis liecību, Tas, lūk, kristī, un visi iet pie Viņa." 27 Jānis atbildēja: "Cilvēks nekā nevar ņemt, ja tas viņam nav dots no debesīm. 28 Jūs paši esat mani liecinieki, ka es esmu sacījis: es neesmu Kristus, bet esmu sūtīts Viņa priekšā. 29 Kam pieder līgava, tas ir līgavainis; bet līgavaiņa draugs, kas stāv un klausās viņa vārdos, no sirds priecājas par līgavaiņa balsi. Šis mans prieks nu ir piepildījies. 30 Viņam vajag augt, bet man iet mazumā. 31 Kas nāk no augšienes, tas ir pār visiem; kas ir no zemes, ir no zemes, un viņa runa ir no zemes. Kas nāk no debesīm, tas ir pār visiem. 32 Ko Viņš skatījis un dzirdējis, par to Viņš dod liecību, bet Viņa liecību neviens nepieņem. 33 Bet, kas Viņa liecību pieņēmis, tas ir apliecinājis, ka Dievs ir patiesīgs. 34 Jo, ko Dievs ir sūtījis, Tas runā Dieva vārdus, jo bez mēra Viņš dod Savu Garu. 35 Tēvs mīl Dēlu un visu ir nodevis Viņa rokā. 36 Kas tic Dēlam, tam ir mūžīgā dzīvība. Bet, kas Dēlam neklausa, tas dzīvības neredzēs, bet Dieva dusmība paliek uz viņa."
