Moffatt(i)
1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who belonged to the Jewish authorities;
2 he came one night to Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we know you have come from God to teach us, for no one could perform these Signs of yours unless God were with him."
3 Jesus replied, "Truly, truly I tell you, no one can see God's Realm unless he is born from above."
4 Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb over again and be born?"
5 Jesus replied, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's Realm.
6 What is born of the flesh is flesh: what is born of the Spirit is Spirit.
7 Do not wonder at me telling you, 'You must all be born from above.'
8 The wind blows where it wills; you can hear its sound, but you never know where it has come from or where it goes: it is the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 Nicodemus answered, "How can that be?"
10 Jesus replied, "You do not understand this? — you, a teacher in Israel!
11 Truly, truly I tell you, we are speaking of what we do understand, we testify to what we have actually seen — and yet you refuse our testimony.
12 If you will not believe when I speak to you about things on earth, how will you believe if I speak to you about things in heaven?
13 And yet the Son of man, descended from heaven, is the only one who has ever ascended into heaven.
14 Indeed the Son of man must be lifted on high, just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16 For God loved the world so dearly that he gave up his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life, instead of perishing.
17 God did not send his Son into the world to pass sentence on it, but to save the world by him.
18 He who believes in him is not sentenced; he who will not believe is sentenced already, for having refused to believe in the name of the only Son of God.
19 And this is the sentence of condemnation, that the Light has entered the world and yet men have preferred darkness to light. It is because their actions have been evil;
20 for anyone whose practices are corrupt loathes the light and will not come out into it, in case his actions are exposed,
21 whereas anyone whose life is true comes out into the light, to make it plain that his actions have been divinely prompted.
22 [vss 22-30 moved to between 2:12 and 2:13] After this Jesus and his disciples went into the country of Judaea, where he spent some time with them baptizing.
23 John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, as there was plenty of water there, and people came to him and were baptized
24 (John had not yet been thrown into prison).
25 Now a dispute arose between John's disciples and a Jew over the question of 'purification';
26 and they came and told John, "Rabbi, the man who was with you on the opposite side of the Jordan, the man to whom you bore testimony — here he is, baptizing, and everybody goes to him!"
27 John answered, "No one can receive anything except as a gift from heaven.
28 You can bear me out, that I said, 'I am not the Christ'; what I said was, 'I have been sent in advance of him.'
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens to him, is heartily glad at the sound of the bridegroom's voice. Such is my joy, and it is complete.
30 He must wax, I must wane."
31 He who comes from above is far above all others; he who springs from earth belongs to earth and speaks of earth; he who comes from heaven [is far above all others.
32 He] is testifying to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony.
33 Whoever does accept it, certifies to the truth of God.
34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God — God gives him the Spirit in no sparing measure;
35 the Father loves the Son and has given him control over everything.
36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who disobeys the Son shall not see life — God's anger broods over him."