John 3:12

New Revised Standard

If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

King James Version (1611)
If I haue tolde you earthly things, and ye beleeue not: how shall ye beleeue if I tell you of heauenly things?

King James Version
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

English Standard Version
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

New American Standard Bible
"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

New Century Version
I have told you about things here on earth, and you do not believe me. So you will not believe me if I tell you about things of heaven.

Amplified Bible
"If I told you earthly things [that is, things that happen right here on earth] and you do not believe, how will you believe and trust Me if I tell you heavenly things?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Legacy Standard Bible
If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Berean Standard Bible
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

Contemporary English Version
If you don't believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?

Complete Jewish Bible
If you people don't believe me when I tell you about the things of the world, how will you believe me when I tell you about the things of heaven?

Darby Translation
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?

Easy-to-Read Version
I have told you about things here on earth, but you do not believe me. So I'm sure you will not believe me if I tell you about heavenly things!

Geneva Bible (1587)
If when I tel you earthly things, ye beleeue not, howe should yee beleeue, if I shall tel you of heauenly things?

George Lamsa Translation
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how then will you believe me, if I tell you about heavenly things?

Good News Translation
You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven?

Lexham English Bible
If I tell you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Literal Translation
If I tell you earthly things, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

American Standard Version
If I told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Bible in Basic English
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?

Hebrew Names Version
If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

International Standard Version
If I have told you peopleyou (pl.)">[fn] about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

Etheridge Translation
If of (what is) on earth I tell you, and you believe not, how if I tell you of (what is) in heaven, could you believe me ?

Murdock Translation
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?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If I haue tolde you earthly thynges, and ye beleue not: howe shall ye beleue, yf I tell you of heauenly thynges?

English Revised Version
If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things?

World English Bible
If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how would ye believe, if I told you heavenly things?

Weymouth's New Testament
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?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If Y haue seid to you ertheli thingis, and ye bileuen not, hou if Y seie to you heueneli thingis, schulen ye bileue?

Update Bible Version
If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how shall you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Webster's Bible Translation
If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?

New English Translation
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?

New King James Version
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

New Living Translation
But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

New Life Bible
I tell you about things of the earth and you do not believe them. How will you believe if I tell you things about heaven?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
If, the earthly things, I told you, and ye believe not, How, if I should tell you the heavenly things, will ye believe?

Douay-Rheims Bible
If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not: how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things?

Revised Standard Version
If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Yf when I tell you erthely thinges ye beleve not: how shuld ye beleve yf I shall tell you of hevenly thinges?

Young's Literal Translation
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?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Yf ye beleue not whan I tell you of earthly thinges, how shulde ye beleue, wha I speake vnto you of heauenly thinges?

Mace New Testament (1729)
if you don't believe when I tell you what is plain, how should you believe, if I tell you of things more sublime?

Simplified Cowboy Version
And if you won't believe me about things you can touch and feel, how are you going to believe me about spiritual things?

Contextual Overview

¹ Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." ³ Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" ⁵ Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.' ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

earthly: John 3:3, John 3:5, John 3:8, 1 Corinthians 3:1, 1 Corinthians 3:2, Hebrews 5:11, 1 Peter 2:1-3

heavenly: John 3:13-17, John 3:31-36, John 1:1-14, 1 Corinthians 2:7-9, 1 Timothy 3:16, 1 John 4:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 37:20 - and let John 3:7 - Marvel Romans 10:6 - to bring 1 Corinthians 15:47 - the Lord

Cross-References

Genesis 2:18
Then the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner."

Genesis 2:20
The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner.

Genesis 2:22
And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:15
I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."

Genesis 3:20
The man named his wife Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

Genesis 3:21
And the Lord God made garments of skins for the man and for his wife, and clothed them.

Genesis 3:24
He drove out the man; and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a sword flaming and turning to guard the way to the tree of life.

Job 31:33
if I have concealed my transgressions as others do, by hiding my iniquity in my bosom,

Proverbs 19:3
One's own folly leads to ruin, yet the heart rages against the Lord .

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If I have told you earthly things,.... Not that the doctrines he delivered were earthly ones; for he was not of the earth, but from heaven, and above all, and so spake not of the earth, but of heaven, John 3:31; and this doctrine of regeneration was an heavenly doctrine; and the thing itself required supernatural power, and grace from above: but either they were the more easy doctrines of the Gospel; or were delivered in a plain and easy style, and illustrated by similes taken from earthly things, as from human birth, from the water, and from the wind:

and ye believe not; i.e. those things; ye do not receive them, nor give credit to them; or "me", as the Ethiopic Version adds, who relate them on the best evidence, having fully known, and clearly seen them:

how shall ye believe; give credit to me, or receive my testimony:

if I tell you of heavenly things? of the more sublime doctrines of the Gospel, such as the descent of the Messiah from heaven; the union of the two natures, human and divine, in him; his being the only begotten Son of God; his crucifixion and death, signified by the lifting up of the serpent on a pole in the wilderness; and the wonderful love of God to the Gentile world in giving Christ to, and for them; and the salvation, and eternal happiness of all that believe in him, whether they be Jews or Gentiles; and these delivered in language suitable to them, without figures, or natural similes, which help the understanding, and convey ideas of things more easily to it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If I have told you earthly things - Things which occur on earth. Not sensual or worldly things, for Jesus had said nothing of these; but he had told him of operations of the Spirit which had occurred “on earth,” whose effects were visible, and which “might” be, therefore, believed. These were the plainest and most obvious of the doctrines of religion.

How shall ye believe - How will you believe. Is there any probability that you will understand them?

Heavenly things - Things pertaining to the government of God and his doings in the heavens; things which are removed from human view, and which cannot be subjected to human sight; the more profound and inscrutable things pertaining to the redemption of men. Hence, learn:

1. The height and depth of the doctrines of religion. There is much that we cannot yet understand,
2. The feebleness of our understandings and the corruptions of our hearts are the real causes why doctrines of religion are so little understood by us.
3. There is before us a vast eternity, and there are profound wonders of God’s government, to be the study of the righteous, and to be seen and admired by them forever and ever.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 3:12. If I have told you earthly things — If, after I have illustrated this new birth by a most expressive metaphor taken from earthly things, and after all you believe not; how can you believe, should I tell you of heavenly things, in such language as angels use, where earthly images and illustrations can have no place? Or, if you, a teacher in Israel, do not understand the nature of such an earthly thing, or custom of the kingdom established over the Jewish nation, as being born of baptism, practised every day in the initiation of proselytes, how will you understand such heavenly things as the initiation of my disciples by the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire from heaven, if I should proceed farther on the subject?