THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. JOHN

THE NEW TESTAMENT
TRANSLATED FROM
THE SYRIAC PESHITO VERSION BY JAMES MURDOCK

Chapter 3

(Joh 3:1) And there was a man of the Pharisees there, whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

(Joh 3:2) And he came to Jesus by night, and said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher sent from God; for no one can work those signs which thou workest, unless God be with him.

(Joh 3:3) Jesus replied, and said to him: Verily, verily, I say to thee, That, unless a man be born anew, he cannot behold the kingdom of God.

(Joh 3:4) Nicodemus said to him: How can an old man be born? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?

(Joh 3:5) Jesus replied, and said to him Verily, verily, I say to thee, That, unless a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

(Joh 3:6) That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.

(Joh 3:7) Be not surprised that I said to thee, Ye must be born anew.

(Joh 3:8) The wind bloweth where it chooseth; and thou hearest its sound, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one, that is born of the Spirit.

(Joh 3:9) Nicodemus answered, and said to him: How can these things be?

(Joh 3:10) Jesus answered, and said to him: Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things?

(Joh 3:11) Verily, verily, I say to thee: We speak, what we know; and we testify to what we have seen; but ye receive not our testimony.

(Joh 3:12) If I have spoken to you of things on earth, and ye believe not; how will ye believe, if I speak of things in heaven?

(Joh 3:13) And no one hath ascended to heaven, but he that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.

(Joh 3:14) And as Moses elevated the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up:

(Joh 3:15) that every one who believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life eternal.

(Joh 3:16) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but should have life eternal.

(Joh 3:17) For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world; but that the world might live by means of him.

(Joh 3:18) He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not, is already condemned; because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God.

(Joh 3:19) And this is the [ground of] condemnation, that light hath come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light, for their deeds have been evil.

(Joh 3:20) For every one that doeth abominable things, hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

(Joh 3:21) But he that doeth right, cometh to the light, that his works may be known to be done in God.

(Joh 3:22) After these things, came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them, and baptized.

(Joh 3:23) And John also was baptizing in Ænon, which is near to Salim, because there were many waters there: and the people came, and were baptized.

(Joh 3:24) For John had not yet fallen into prison.

(Joh 3:25) And one of John's disciples and a certain Jew had disputed respecting purification.

(Joh 3:26) And they came to John, and said to him: Our Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond Jordan, and of whom thou gavest testimony, lo, he also baptizeth; and many go after him.

(Joh 3:27) John answered, and said to them: A man cannot take any thing by his own choice, unless it be given him from heaven.

(Joh 3:28) Ye are witnesses for me, that I said: I am not the Messiah, but am sent to go before him.

(Joh 3:29) He that hath the bride, is the bridegroom: and the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and listeneth to him, rejoiceth with great joy on account of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy, therefore, lo, it is full.

(Joh 3:30) To him must be increase, and to me decrease.

(Joh 3:31) For he that cometh from above, is above all; and he that is from the earth, is of the earth, and talketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven, is above all;

(Joh 3:32) and what he hath seen and heard, he testifieth; and his testimony, no one receiveth.

(Joh 3:33) But he that receiveth his testimony, hath set his seal, that God is true.

(Joh 3:34) For he whom God hath sent, speaketh the words of God; for God hath not given the Spirit by measure [to him].

(Joh 3:35) The Father loveth the Son, and hath given every thing into his hands.

(Joh 3:36) He that believeth on the Son, hath life eternal; but he who obeyeth not the Son, shall not see life. but the wrath of God will abide upon him.