John 3:11

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Verily, verily, I say unto thee: What we know, we speak, and, of what we have seen, we bear witness, and, our witness, ye receive not.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
The truth is, we talk about what we know. We tell about what we have seen. But you people don't accept what we tell you.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Verely verely I saye vnto the we speake that we knowe and testify that we have sene: and ye receave not oure witnes.

Hebrew Names Version
Most assuredly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness.

International Standard Version
Truly, truly I tell you, we know what we're talking about, and we testify about what we've seen. Yet you peopleyou (pl.)">[fn] do not accept our testimony.Matthew 11:27; John 1:18; 7:16; 8:28; 12:49;">[xr]

New American Standard Bible
"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you people do not accept our testimony.

New Century Version
I tell you the truth, we talk about what we know, and we tell about what we have seen, but you don't accept what we tell you.

Update Bible Version
Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and you do not receive our witness.

Webster's Bible Translation
Verily, verily, I say to thee, We speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; and ye receive not our testimony.

English Standard Version
Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.

World English Bible
Most assuredly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Verily, verily I say to thee, we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; yet ye receive not our testimony.

Weymouth's New Testament
In most solemn truth I tell you that we speak what we know, and give testimony of that of which we were eye-witnesses, and yet you all reject our testimony.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Treuli, treuli, Y seie to thee, for we speken that that we witen, and we witnessen that that we han seyn, and ye taken not oure witnessyng.

English Revised Version
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and bear witness of that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

Berean Standard Bible
Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.

Contemporary English Version
I tell you for certain that we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say.

Amplified Bible
"I assure you and most solemnly say to you, we speak only of what we [absolutely] know and testify about what we have [actually] seen [as eyewitnesses]; and [still] you [reject our evidence and] do not accept our testimony.

American Standard Version
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and bear witness of that which we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

Bible in Basic English
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.

Complete Jewish Bible
Yes, indeed! I tell you that what we speak about, we know; and what we give evidence of, we have seen; but you people don't accept our evidence!

Darby Translation
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness.

Etheridge Translation
Amen, amen, I say to thee, What we know we speak, and what we have seen we testify; but our testimony you receive not.

Murdock Translation
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.

King James Version (1611)
Uerely, verely I say vnto thee, We speake that we doe know, and testifie that wee haue seene; and yee receiue not our witnesse.

New Living Translation
I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony.

New Life Bible
For sure, I tell you, We are talking about things We know. We tell of what We have seen. Yet you do not take Our words to be true.

New Revised Standard
"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Verely, verely I say vnto thee, wee speake that we know, and testifie that we haue seene: but yee receiue not our witnesse.

George Lamsa Translation
Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak only what we know, and we testify only to what we have seen; and yet you do not accept our testimony.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Amen, amen, I say to thee that we speak what we know and we testify what we have seen: and you receive not our testimony.

Revised Standard Version
Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ueryly, veryly, I say vnto thee, we speake that we do knowe, & testifie that we haue seene: and ye receaue not our witnesse.

Good News Translation
I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message.

Christian Standard Bible®
“Truly I tell you,

King James Version
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

Lexham English Bible
Truly, truly I say to you, we speak what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony!

Literal Translation
Truly, truly, I say to you, That which we know, we speak; and that which we have seen, we testify. And you do not receive our testimony.

Young's Literal Translation
`Verily, verily, I say to thee -- What we have known we speak, and what we have seen we testify, and our testimony ye do not receive;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Verely I saye vnto ye: We speake that we knowe, and testifie that we haue sene, and ye receaue not oure wytnesse.

Mace New Testament (1729)
I declare unto thee, we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony.

New English Translation
I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.

New King James Version
Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

Simplified Cowboy Version
We tell you the things we have seen and done, but y'all don't believe a word we say.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and testify of what we have seen, and you do not accept our testimony.

Legacy Standard Bible
Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and bear witness of what we have seen, and you do not accept our witness.

Contextual Overview

¹ There was however, a man from among the Pharisees, Nicodemus, his name, - ruler of the Jews. ² The same, came unto him, by night, and said unto him - Rabbi! we know that, from God, thou hast come, a teacher; for, no one, can be doing, these signs, which, thou, art doing, except, God, be with him. ³ Jesus answered, and said unto him - Verily, verily, I say unto thee: Except one be born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God. ⁴ Nicodemus saith unto him - How, can a man be born, when he is, old? Can he, into the womb of his mother, a second time, enter, and be born? ⁵ Jesus answered - Verily, verily, I say unto thee: Except one be born of water and spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which hath been born of the flesh, is, flesh, and, that which hath been born of the spirit, is, spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel, that I said unto thee: Ye must needs be born from above. ⁸ The spirit, where it pleaseth, doth breathe, and, the sound thereof, thou hearest; but knowest not, whence it cometh and whither it goeth: Thus, is every one who hath been born of the spirit. ⁹ Nicodemus answered, and said unto him - How, can these things, come about? ¹⁰ Jesus answered, and said unto him - Art, thou, the teacher of Israel, and, these things, knowest not?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

verily: John 3:3, John 3:5

We speak: John 3:13, John 3:32-34, John 1:18, John 7:16, John 8:14, John 8:28, John 8:29, John 8:38, John 12:49, John 14:24, Isaiah 55:4, Matthew 11:27, Luke 10:22, 1 John 1:1-3, 1 John 5:6-12, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 3:14

ye: John 3:32, John 1:11, John 5:31-40, John 5:43, John 12:37, John 12:38, Isaiah 50:2, Isaiah 53:1, Isaiah 65:2, Matthew 23:37, Acts 22:18, Acts 28:23-27, 2 Corinthians 4:4

Reciprocal: Numbers 5:22 - Amen Psalms 81:8 - Hear Ecclesiastes 12:10 - written Matthew 5:18 - verily Mark 14:18 - Verily 1 John 4:14 - we have Revelation 1:2 - and of all

Cross-References

Genesis 4:10
And he said, What hast thou done? With a voice, the shed-blood of thy brother is crying out to me from the ground,

Psalms 50:21
These things, hast thou done, and I have kept silence, Thou thoughtest that I should really be like thyself, I will convict thee, yea I will set thine offences in order before thine eyes.

Romans 3:20
Inasmuch as, by works of law, shall no flesh be declared righteous before him, - through law, in fact, is discovery of sin.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, we speak that we do know,.... Meaning either himself, and John the Baptist his forerunner, who preached the same doctrine of regeneration, internal sanctification, and evangelical repentance, as well as outward reformation, as necessary to entrance into the kingdom of heaven, or the Gospel dispensation, he declared was just at hand; or his disciples with himself, who were now with him, and whom he had called to preach the same truths he himself did; or the prophets of the Old Testament, who agreed with him in these things; or the Father that was with him, and never left him alone, and the Holy Spirit that was upon him, by whom he was anointed to preach these things, and who spoke them in him; or else he may use the plural number of himself alone, as being one in authority, and speaking with it, as he sometimes did, Mark 4:30, and the rather this seems to be the sense, since he immediately, in the next verse, speaks in the singular number, "if I have told you earthly things", c. Now Christ must needs thoroughly, and certainly know what he spoke, since he was not only the omniscient God, but, as Mediator, had all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in him, and the spirit of wisdom and knowledge rested on him:

and testify that we have seen and therefore ought to have been received as a credible witness, as he was a faithful one; since "seeing" and "knowing" are qualifications in a witness, Leviticus 5:1; and though these were eminently in Christ, the generality of the Jews gave no credit to his testimony:

and ye received not our witness; which was an aggravation of their sin and unbelief; see John 3:32.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

We speak - Jesus here speaks in the plural number, including himself and those engaged with him in preaching the gospel. Nicodemus had said John 3:2, “we know that thou art,” etc., including himself and those with whom he acted. Jesus in reply said, we, who are engaged in spreading the new doctrines about which you have come to inquire, speak what we know. We do not deliver doctrines which we do not practically understand. This is a positive affirmation of Jesus, which he had a right to make about his new doctrine. he knew its truth, and those who came into his kingdom knew it also. We learn here:

1. That the Pharisees taught doctrines which they did not practically understand. They taught much truth Matthew 23:2, but they were deplorably ignorant of the plainest matters in their practical application.
2. Every minister of the gospel ought to be able to appeal to his own experience, and to say that he knows the truth which he is communicating to others.
3. Every Sunday school teacher should be able to say, “I Know what I am communicating; I have experienced what is meant by the new birth, and the love of God, and the religion which I am teaching.”

Testify - Bear witness to.

That we have seen - Jesus had seen by his omniscient eye all the operations of the Spirit on the hearts of men. His ministers have seen its effects as we see the effects of the wind, and, having seen men changed from sin to holiness, they are qualified to bear witness to the truth and reality of the change. Every successful minister of the gospel thus becomes a witness of the saving power of the gospel.

Ye receive not - Ye Pharisees. Though we give evidence of the truth of the new religion; though miracles are performed, and proof is given that this doctrine came from heaven, yet you reject it.

Our witness - Our testimony. The evidence which is furnished by miracles and by the saving power of the gospel. Men reject revelation though it is attested by the strongest evidence, and though it is constantly producing the most desirable changes in the hearts and lives of men.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 3:11. We speak that we do know — I and my disciples do not profess to teach a religion which we do not understand, nor exemplify in our conduct. A strong but delicate reproof to Nicodemus, who, though a master of Israel, did not understand the very rudiments of the doctrine of salvation. He was ignorant of the nature of the new birth. How wretched is the lot of that minister, who, while he professes to recommend the salvation of God to others, is all the while dealing in the meagre, unfruitful traffic of an unfelt truth! Let such either acquire the knowledge of the grace of God themselves, or cease to proclaim it.

Ye receive not our witness. — It was deemed criminal among the Jews to question or depart from the authority of their teachers. Nicodemus grants that our Lord is a teacher come from God, and yet scruples to receive his testimony relative to the new birth, and the spiritual nature of the Messiah's kingdom.