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parallelVerse INT GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOS JDG RUTH 1SA 2SA PSA AMOS HOS 1KI 2KI 1CH 2CH PRO ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL JOB YHN MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC GAL 1TH 2TH 1COR 2COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1TIM TIT 1PET 2PET 2TIM HEB YUD 1YHN 2YHN 3YHN REV
Yhn Intro C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16 C17 C18 C19 C20 C21
Yhn 3 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V13 V14 V15 V16 V17 V18 V19 V20 V21 V22 V23 V24 V25 V26 V27 V28 V29 V30 V31 V32 V33 V34 V35 V36
Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.
Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)
OET (OET-RV) If I tell all of you earthly things and you don’t believe them, how will you ever believe if I explain heavenly things?
OET-LV If I_told the earthly things to_you_all, and you_all_are_ not _believing, how you_all_will_be_believing if I_may_tell to_you_all the heavenly things?
SR-GNT Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε; ‡
(Ei ta epigeia eipon humin, kai ou pisteuete, pōs ean eipō humin ta epourania, pisteusete;)
Key: khaki:verbs, orange:accusative/object, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).
ULT If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
UST Since you people do not trust what I say when I tell you about things that happen on this earth, you certainly will not trust what I say when I tell you about things that happen in heaven!
BSB § If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
BLB If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
AICNT If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?[fn]
3:12, you: “You” throughout this verse is plural, so it must not only be addressed to Nicodemus (UBS Handbooks for New Testament (20 Vols.), John 3:12).
OEB If, when I tell you earthly things, you do not believe me, how will you believe me when I tell you of heavenly things?
LSB If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
WEBBE If I told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
WMBB (Same as above)
NET 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?
LSV if I spoke to you of the earthly things, and you do not believe, how, if I will speak to you of the heavenly things, will you believe?
FBV If you don't trust what I say when I tell you about earthly things, how would you ever trust what I say if I were to tell you about heavenly things?
TCNT If I have spoken to you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things?
T4T I have told you about the things that happen here on earth that are true, but you (pl) do not believe me. So if I tell you (sg) about things that happen in heaven, ◄you certainly will not believe me!/how will you believe me?► [RHQ]
LEB If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
BBE 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?
Moff No Moff YHN (JHN) book available
Wymth If I have told you earthly things and none of you believe me, how will you believe me if I tell you of things in Heaven?
ASV If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
DRA If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?
YLT if the earthly things I said to you, and ye do not believe, how, if I shall say to you the heavenly things, will ye believe?
Drby If I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe?
RV If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?
Wbstr If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?
KJB-1769 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
( If I have told you earthly things, and ye/you_all believe not, how shall ye/you_all believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? )
KJB-1611 If I haue tolde you earthly things, and ye beleeue not: how shall ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly things?
(If I have told you earthly things, and ye/you_all believe not: how shall ye/you_all believe if I tell you of heavenly things?)
Bshps If I haue tolde you earthly thynges, and ye beleue not: howe shall ye beleue, yf I tell you of heauenly thynges?
(If I have told you earthly things, and ye/you_all believe not: how shall ye/you_all believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?)
Gnva If when I tel you earthly things, ye beleeue not, howe should yee beleeue, if I shall tel you of heauenly things?
(If when I tel you earthly things, ye/you_all believe not, how should ye/you_all believe, if I shall tel you of heavenly things? )
Cvdl Yf ye beleue not whan I tell you of earthly thinges, how shulde ye beleue, wha I speake vnto you of heauenly thinges?
(If ye/you_all believe not when I tell you of earthly things, how should ye/you_all believe, wha I speak unto you of heavenly things?)
TNT Yf when I tell you erthely thinges ye beleve not: how shuld ye beleve yf I shall tell you of hevenly thinges?
(If when I tell you earthly things ye/you_all believe not: how should ye/you_all believe if I shall tell you of heavenly things? )
Wyc If Y haue seid to you ertheli thingis, and ye bileuen not, hou if Y seie to you heueneli thingis, schulen ye bileue?
(If I have said to you earthli things, and ye/you_all believen not, how if I say to you heavenli things, should ye/you_all believe?)
Luth Glaubt ihr nicht, wenn ich euch von irdischen Dingen sage, wie würdet ihr glauben, wenn ich euch von himmlischen Dingen sagen würde?
(Glaubt you/their/her not, when I you from irdischen Dingen sage, like würdet you/their/her believe, when I you from himmlischen Dingen say würde?)
ClVg Si terrena dixi vobis, et non creditis: quomodo, si dixero vobis cælestia, credetis?[fn]
(When/But_if terrena dixi vobis, and not/no he_believesis: quomodo, when/but_if dixero to_you cælestia, credetis? )
3.12 Si terrena dixi vobis. AUG. Et quia non accipitis terrena, quomodo potestis capere cœlestia, id est cœlestem spiritus nativitatem? cum non solum non credatis, sed nec intelligatis terrena, quod de templo corporis mei (quod de terra accepi) dixi a vobis solvendo, a me suscitando.
3.12 When/But_if terrena dixi vobis. AUG. And because not/no accipitis terrena, how potestis capere cœlestia, id it_is cœlestem spiritus nativitatem? when/with not/no solum not/no credatis, but but_not intelligatis terrena, that about temple corporis my/mine (that about earth/land accepi) dixi from to_you solvendo, from me suscitando.
UGNT εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε?
(ei ta epigeia eipon humin, kai ou pisteuete, pōs ean eipō humin ta epourania, pisteusete?)
SBL-GNT εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια πιστεύσετε;
(ei ta epigeia eipon humin kai ou pisteuete, pōs ean eipō humin ta epourania pisteusete;)
TC-GNT Εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν καὶ οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς, ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε;
(Ei ta epigeia eipon humin kai ou pisteuete, pōs, ean eipō humin ta epourania, pisteusete; )
Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs (from our SR-GNT base).
“Belief” in the Gospel of John
Believing occupies a central place in John’s Gospel. John does not use the noun faith that appears frequently elsewhere in the New Testament (e.g., see Matt 8:8-10; Mark 11:22; Acts 20:21; Rom 1:17; 3:27-31; 4:3-5; Heb 11:1-39; Jas 2:14-24; 1 Pet 1:5-7). John prefers the verb believe to underscore that faith is not simply a static dogma, but is dynamic, requiring action. In John’s Gospel, “believing” in Jesus is the trait of all true disciples.
In the Gospel of John, the verb translated “believe” is often followed by the Greek preposition eis (“into”). No parallel exists for this combination in ancient Greek usage. For John, faith is not a status, but an investment in the person of Jesus. Faith means accepting who Jesus is and what he claims to be. Faith constitutes a commitment to let his call change the way we live. Faith is the work God wants from us (John 6:29), demonstrated as we abide in Jesus’ word, as we love him, and as we obey his commands (John 8:31; 15:1-17; see 1 Jn 5:10).
Passages for Further Study
Gen 15:6; Isa 28:16; Mark 1:15; 9:23-24; John 1:12-13; 3:10-18; 5:24; 6:35-36; 7:38; 9:35-38; 11:25-27; 12:37; 20:25-31; Acts 10:43; 13:39; Rom 1:16; 10:9-10; Heb 4:3
Note 1 topic: grammar-connect-condition-fact
εἰ τὰ ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν
if the earthly_‹things› ˱I˲_told ˱to˲_you_all
John records Jesus speaking as if this were a hypothetical possibility, but he means that it is actually true. If your language does not state something as a condition if it is certain or true, and if your readers might think that what Jesus is saying is not certain, then you could translate his words as an affirmative statement. Alternate translation: “Since I told you earthly things”
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / you
ὑμῖν & οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν & πιστεύσετε
˱to˲_you_all & not ˱you_all˲_/are/_believing how if ˱I˲_/may/_tell ˱to˲_you_all & ˱you_all˲_/will_be/_believing
Throughout this verse, you is plural and could refer to: (1) the Jewish people in general. Alternate translation: “you Jews … you Jews do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you” (2) Nicodemus and his fellow Jewish leaders. Alternate translation: “you Jewish leaders … you Jewish leaders do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you” See how you translated this word in the previous verse.
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὰ ἐπίγεια
the earthly_‹things›
Here, earthly things refers to what Jesus had spoken in 3:3–8. Those things are called earthly because they are about things that take place on earth. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “these truths about what takes place on earth”
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / rquestion
πῶς ἐὰν εἴπω ὑμῖν τὰ ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε?
how if ˱I˲_/may/_tell ˱to˲_you_all the heavenly_‹things› ˱you_all˲_/will_be/_believing
Jesus uses a question to emphasize the disbelief of Nicodemus and the Jews. If it would be helpful in your language, you could translate his words as a statement or an exclamation and communicate the emphasis in another way. Alternate translation: “you certainly will not believe if I tell you about heavenly things!”
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
τὰ ἐπουράνια
the the heavenly_‹things›
Here, heavenly things refers to things that take place in heaven or are related to heaven. If this might confuse your readers, you could express the meaning explicitly. Alternate translation: “truths about what takes place in heaven”