John 3
3
CHAPTIR THRIE.
The man that cam iʼ the mirk, and gaed awa iʼ the licht. Christ maun wax, John maun wane.
1Thar was ane oʼ the Pharisees, by name Nicodemus; and in authoritie amang the Jews.
2And he cam iʼ the mirk oʼ the nicht to Jesus, and quoʼ he, “Maister! we aʼ ken ye are a Teacher frae God; for nane could do sic wunner‐works as ye do, gin God warna wiʼ him!”
3Jesus said to him, “Truly say I tʼye, gin a man be‐na born again, his eʼen sal never see Godʼs Kingdom!”
4Quoʼ Nicodemus, “But hooʼs a man to be born in eild? Maun he return till his mitherʼs womb, and be born ower again?”
5But Jesus spak: “Truly, truly say I tʼye, Gin a man be‐na watir‐born and Spirit‐born, heʼse no come intil Godʼs Kingdom!
6“And aye that whilk is born oʼ the flesh is itsel flesh, and that whilk is born oʼ the Spirit is spirit.
7“Mak nae ferlie oʼ my words, ‘Ye maun be born again!’
8“The wind blaws whaur it wull, and ye hear the sough oʼt, but canna ken whaur it comes frae, nor whaur it gangs tae: sae is it wiʼ ane born oʼ the Spirit.”
9Nicodemus says to him, “Hoo can siccan a thing be?”
10Quoʼ Jesus to him, “Can ye be a Maister oʼ Israʼl, and ken‐na thir things?
11“Truly, truly say I tʼye,#3:11 Jesus aiblins meant himself and John, whan he said “we.” John was a graun witness for him, and steered up the hail land: but the Jewish rulers wad hae nane oʼ him! we speak what we ken, and bear witness oʼ oor ain een; and ye winna hear us.
12“Gin I hae tauld ye things oʼ the yirth, and ye winna hae them, wull ye lippen my word anent things oʼ Heeven?
13“And nae man has eʼer gane up Aboon, but he that cam doon frae Aboon — the Son oʼ Man, wha bides Aboon.
14“And like as Moses iʼ the wilderness heized up the serpent, sae maun the Son oʼ Man be liftit heigh;
15“That aʼ wha lippen till him soudna dee, but hae Life for aye!
16“For God sae loved the warld as to gie his Son, the Only‐Begotten Ane, that ilka ane wha lippens till him sudna dee, but hae Life for aye.
17“For God sent‐na his Son intil the warld to bring condemnation onʼt, but that raither the warld micht be saved by him.
18“And ane that lippens him isna hauden guilty; but ane wha winna lippen him is judged guilty eʼen no; for he hasna lippened to the Son oʼ God, the only‐begotten Ane.
19“And here is the sentence he drees: that licht beams on the warld, and men loʼe the mirk and no the licht; for that their deeds are wrang.
20“For ilka ane that follows ill hates the licht, and comes na tillʼt; jalousin that his ill deeds wull be seen.
21“But the man wha has the truth seeks the licht, that aʼ his deeds may be plainly seen, that they are dune iʼ the pooer oʼ God.”
22Eftir thae things, Jesus and the disciples cam intil Judea; and he bade wiʼ them, bapteezin.
23And John his sel was in Enon, nar‐by Salim, bapteezin; for thar was rowth oʼ watir thar‐aboot; and the folk cam to be bapteezʼt.
24For John wasna yet cuisten intil prison.
25And noo thar cam a quaisten atween Johnʼs disciples and a Jew anent purification.
26And till John they cam, sayin, “Maister! the Ane that was ayont Jordan wiʼ ye, the Ane ye bure witness till — dʼye ken heʼs bapteezin, and aʼ the folk come till HIM?”
27John says to them, “Ane can hae naething gien him, gin it be na frae Heeven.
28“Ye mind yersels that I said, ‘I am no the Messiah, but ane sent afore him!’
29“The ane that has the bride, he is the bridegroom; but the bridegroomʼs gude freend staunin by, and hearin his word, joys iʼ the voice oʼ the bridegroom. This is my joy fulfilled!
30“He maun wax, but I maun wane.
31“He that comes frae Aboon, is aboon aʼ folk; he wha is oʼ the yirth is yirth‐like, and speaks oʼ the yirth; but he wha is frae Aboon is aboon aʼ.
32“And he speaks oʼ the sicht oʼ his ain eʼen; and thar isna a man to tak him at his word!
33“But ony ane that taks his word, he has set his seal to the truth oʼ God, and made it his ain.
34“For the Ane sent frae God speaks Godʼs word; for he has sent the Spirit ayont aʼ measure.
35“The Faither loʼes his Son; and gies aʼ things intil his hauns.
36“The man wha lippens on the Son has Life for Aye, and he wha winna believe the Son sal see Life nevir; but the ban oʼ God on him sal bide!”
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John 3: SCO1904
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Translated by Rev William Wye Smith. Published in Paisley, Scotland in 1904.
