Bible in Basic English
The wind goes where its pleasure takes it, and the sound of it comes to your ears, but you are unable to say where it comes from and where it goes: so it is with everyone whose birth is from the Spirit.
And Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for these things to be?
And Jesus, answering, said, Are you the teacher of Israel and have no knowledge of these things?
Truly, I say to you, We say that of which we have knowledge; we give witness of what we have seen; and you do not take our witness to be true.
If you have no belief when my words are about the things of earth, how will you have belief if my words are about the things of heaven?
And no one has ever gone up to heaven but he who came down from heaven, the Son of man.
As the snake was lifted up by Moses in the waste land, even so it is necessary for the Son of man to be lifted up:
So that whoever has faith may have in him eternal life.
For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life.
God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.
The man who has faith in him does not come up to be judged; but he who has no faith in him has been judged even now, because he has no faith in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the test by which men are judged: the light has come into the world and men have more love for the dark than for the light, because their acts are evil.
The light is hated by everyone whose acts are evil and he does not come to the light for fear that his acts will be seen.
But he whose life is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his acts have been done by the help of God.
After these things Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judaea, and there he was with them for some time, giving baptism.
Now John was then giving baptism at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were given baptism.
For at this time John had not been put into prison.
Then a question came up between John's disciples and a Jew about washing.
And they went to John and said to him, Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the man to whom you gave witness, is now giving baptism, and everyone is going to him.
And this was John's answer: A man is unable to have anything if it is not given to him from heaven.
You yourselves give witness that I said, I am not the Christ. What I said was, I am sent before the Christ.
He who has the bride is the husband: but the husband's friend, whose place is by his side and whose ears are open to him, is full of joy because of the husband's voice: such is my joy, and it is complete.
He has to become greater while I become less.
He who comes from heaven is greater than all others: he who comes from earth is of the earth, and of the earth are his words: he who comes from heaven is over all.
He gives witness of what he has seen and of what has come to his ears; and no man takes his witness as true.
He who so takes his witness has made clear his faith that God is true.
For he whom God has sent says God's words; and God does not give him the Spirit by measure.
The Father has love for the Son and has put all things into his hands.
He who has faith in the Son has eternal life; but he who has not faith in the Son will not see life; God's wrath is resting on him.
— John 3:8-1964, Bible in Basic English
“The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and don't understand these things? Most certainly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness. If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God." After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized. John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized. For John was not yet thrown into prison. There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with some Jews about purification. They came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and everyone is coming to him." John answered, "A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven. You yourselves testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before him.' He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full. He must increase, but I must decrease. He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the Earth belongs to the Earth, and speaks of the Earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."”
“The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus replied,“How can these things be?” Jesus answered,“Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things? I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. If I have told you people about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven– the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist After this, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming to him and being baptized. (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew concerning ceremonial washing. So they came to John and said to him,“Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified– see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!” John replied,“No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said,‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather,‘I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. He must become more important while I become less important.” The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him.”
Jesus said in answer, Truly, I say to you, If a man's birth is not from water and from the Spirit, it is not possible for him to go into the kingdom of God.
That which has birth from the flesh is flesh, and that which has birth from the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be surprised that I say to you, It is necessary for you to have a second birth.
The wind goes where its pleasure takes it, and the sound of it comes to your ears, but you are unable to say where it comes from and where it goes: so it is with everyone whose birth is from the Spirit.
And Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for these things to be?
And Jesus, answering, said, Are you the teacher of Israel and have no knowledge of these things?
Truly, I say to you, We say that of which we have knowledge; we give witness of what we have seen; and you do not take our witness to be true.
If you have no belief when my words are about the things of earth, how will you have belief if my words are about the things of heaven?
And no one has ever gone up to heaven but he who came down from heaven, the Son of man.
As the snake was lifted up by Moses in the waste land, even so it is necessary for the Son of man to be lifted up:
So that whoever has faith may have in him eternal life.
For God had such love for the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever has faith in him may not come to destruction but have eternal life.
God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.
The man who has faith in him does not come up to be judged; but he who has no faith in him has been judged even now, because he has no faith in the name of the only Son of God.
And this is the test by which men are judged: the light has come into the world and men have more love for the dark than for the light, because their acts are evil.
The light is hated by everyone whose acts are evil and he does not come to the light for fear that his acts will be seen.
But he whose life is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his acts have been done by the help of God.
After these things Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judaea, and there he was with them for some time, giving baptism.
Now John was then giving baptism at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were given baptism.
For at this time John had not been put into prison.
Then a question came up between John's disciples and a Jew about washing.
And they went to John and said to him, Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the man to whom you gave witness, is now giving baptism, and everyone is going to him.
And this was John's answer: A man is unable to have anything if it is not given to him from heaven.
You yourselves give witness that I said, I am not the Christ. What I said was, I am sent before the Christ.
He who has the bride is the husband: but the husband's friend, whose place is by his side and whose ears are open to him, is full of joy because of the husband's voice: such is my joy, and it is complete.
He has to become greater while I become less.
He who comes from heaven is greater than all others: he who comes from earth is of the earth, and of the earth are his words: he who comes from heaven is over all.
He gives witness of what he has seen and of what has come to his ears; and no man takes his witness as true.
He who so takes his witness has made clear his faith that God is true.
For he whom God has sent says God's words; and God does not give him the Spirit by measure.
The Father has love for the Son and has put all things into his hands.
He who has faith in the Son has eternal life; but he who has not faith in the Son will not see life; God's wrath is resting on him.