1 Now there was among the Pharisees a man named Nicodemus, who was one of the rulers of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we are certain that you have come from God as a teacher, because no man would be able to do these signs which you do if God was not with him.
3 Jesus said to him, Truly, I say to you, Without a new birth no man is able to see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for a man to be given birth when he is old? Is he able to go into his mother's body a second time and come to birth again?
5 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.
6 That which has birth from the flesh is flesh, and that which has birth from the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be surprised that I say to you, It is necessary for you to have a second birth.
8 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.
9 And Nicodemus said to him, How is it possible for these things to be?
10 And Jesus, answering, said, Are you the teacher of Israel and have no knowledge of these things?
11 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.
12 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?
13 And no one has ever gone up to heaven but he who came down from heaven, the Son of man.
14 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:
15 So that whoever has faith may have in him eternal life.
16 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.
17 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.
18 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.
19 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.
20 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.
21 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.
22 After these things Jesus and his disciples went into the land of Judaea, and there he was with them for some time, giving baptism.
23 Now John was then giving baptism at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there; and people came and were given baptism.
24 For at this time John had not been put into prison.
25 Then a question came up between John's disciples and a Jew about washing.
26 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.
27 And this was John's answer: A man is unable to have anything if it is not given to him from heaven.
28 You yourselves give witness that I said, I am not the Christ. What I said was, I am sent before the Christ.
29 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.
30 He has to become greater while I become less.
31 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.
32 He gives witness of what he has seen and of what has come to his ears; and no man takes his witness as true.
33 He who so takes his witness has made clear his faith that God is true.
34 For he whom God has sent says God's words; and God does not give him the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father has love for the Son and has put all things into his hands.
36 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.
1 Certa noite, um chefe religioso chamado Nicodemos, um fariseu, procurou Jesus: Mestre, todos sabemos que Deus te enviou para nos ensinares, e bastam os teus milagres para o provar.
3 Jesus retorquiu: Digo-te muito seriamente que, se alguém não nascer de novo , não poderá ver o reino de Deus.
4 Que queres dizer com isso?, exclamou Nicodemos. Como pode uma pessoa voltar para o ventre de sua mãe e nascer outra vez?
5 Jesus respondeu: O que tão seriamente te digo é isto: aquele que não nascer da água e do Espírito não pode entrar no reino de Deus. Os homens só conseguem reproduzir vida humana, mas o Espírito Santo dá vida espiritual; por isso não te admires de te ter dito que precisas de nascer de novo.
8 Assim como ouves o vento, mas não sabes donde vem nem para onde vai, assim se passa com aquele que é nascido do Espírito.
9 Que queres dizer?, perguntou Nicodemos.
10 Jesus respondeu: Então tu, um respeitado mestre, não compreendes estas coisas? Estou a dizer-te aquilo que sei e que vi, e, contudo, não queres acreditar em mim. Mas, se nem sequer acreditas em mim enquanto te falo nestas coisas que acontecem aqui entre os homens, como poderás crer se te falar de coisas celestiais? Pois só eu, o Filho do Homem, desci à Terra e voltarei novamente para o céu.
14 Assim como Moisés ergueu no deserto a figura de uma serpente, assim também eu irei ser levantado, para que todo aquele que crer em mim tenha a vida eterna.
16 Deus amou tanto o mundo que deu o seu único Filho para que todo aquele que nele crê não se perca espiritualmente, mas tenha a vida eterna.
17 Deus não mandou o seu Filho para condenar o mundo, mas para o salvar.
18 Para os que confiam nele como Salvador não há condenação eterna. Mas os que não confiam nele já estão julgados e condenados por não crerem no Filho único de Deus.
19 E são condenados por a luz do céu ter vindo ao mundo mas eles preferirem as trevas à luz, pois só fazem o mal.
20 Eles odeiam a luz celestial porque querem pecar nas trevas. Afastam-se da luz com medo de os seus pecados serem postos às claras e sofrerem castigo.
21 Mas os que procedem bem procuram a luz para que todos vejam que estão a fazer o que Deus deseja.
22 Depois disto, Jesus e os discípulos saíram de Jerusalém e ficaram durante algum tempo na Judeia, baptizando ali.
23 Nessa altura, João Baptista não estava ainda preso. Baptizava em Enom, perto de Salim, porque ali havia água em abundância, e o povo vinha ter com ele para ser baptizado.
25 Um dia, alguém começou a discutir com os discípulos de João acerca de questões relacionadas com a purificação.
26 Foram então ter com João e informaram-no: Mestre, o homem que conheceste do outro lado do rio Jordão, aquele que afirmaste ser o enviado de Deus, anda também a baptizar, e toda a gente vai lá ter com ele.
27 João esclareceu: Uma pessoa só pode receber o que lhe for dado do céu. O meu trabalho é preparar o caminho para aquele Homem, para que todos o procurem.
28 Vocês próprios sabem como eu sempre disse que não sou o Cristo. Estou aqui para lhe preparar o caminho.
29 As pessoas procuram, naturalmente, aquilo que mais as atrai - a noiva vai para junto do noivo. Os amigos do noivo alegram-se com ele. Ora, eu sou o amigo do noivo, e o seu triunfo enche-me de alegria.
30 Ele deve tornar-se cada vez maior, e eu cada vez mais pequeno.
31 Ele veio do céu e é maior do que ninguém. Eu sou da Terra e o meu entendimento limita-se às coisas terrenas. Ele fala do que viu e ouviu, mas são poucos os que acreditam nas suas palavras! Os que nele crêem descobrem que Deus é a fonte da verdade. Pois esse, o enviado de Deus, fala as palavras de Deus, porque o Espírito de Deus está sobre ele, sem medida nem limite.
35 O Pai ama o Filho, e deu-lhe autoridade sobre tudo o que existe. E todos os que crêem nele, no Filho de Deus, têm a vida eterna; os que não crêem nunca participarão da vida eterna, antes a ira de Deus permanece sobre eles.