Sunday, December 27, 2009

On the 3rd Day of Christmas: More on John 3:16

In honor of the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, here is John 3:16 in as many languages as I could find on-line.


English (ESV)
For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him 
should not perish but have eternal life.

Chinese Union Version (Simplified)
「 神 爱 世 人 ,
甚 至 将 他 的 独 生 子 赐 给 他 们 ,
叫 一 切 信 他 的 ,
不 至 灭 亡 ,
反 得 永 生 。

Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
「 神 愛 世 人 ,
甚 至 將 他 的 獨 生 子 賜 給 他 們 ,
叫 一 切 信 他 的 ,
不 至 滅 亡 ,
反 得 永 生 。

Vietnamese (1934 Translation)
Vì Đức Chúa Trời yêu thương thế gian,
đến nỗi đã ban Con một của Ngài,
hầu cho hễ ai tin Con ấy không
bị hư mất mà được sự sống đời đời.

Uspanteco
Kakaj Dios jwiˈl subˈlaj tijlokˈaj juntir cristian xtakch
Kakaj Jesús wich ulew ri xike jun chi Jcˈajol wiˈ.
Y juntir ri tijcubˈaˈ jchˈolak chirij taˈ tisaach jwichak,
tijtaˈtakaˈ jun tzilaj cˈaslemal riqˈui
Kakaj Dios lecj ri taˈ jqˈuisic.

Ukrainian
Так бо Бог полюбив світ,
що дав Сина Свого Однородженого,
щоб кожен, хто вірує в Нього,
не згинув, але мав життя вічне.

Tagalog
Ito ay sapagkat sa ganitong paraan inibig
ng Diyos ang sanlibutan kaya ipinagkaloob
niya ang kaniyang bugtong na Anak
upang ang sinumang sumampalataya sa kaniya
ay hindi mapahamak kundi magkaroon
ng buhay na walang hanggan.

Swahili
Kwa maana Mungu aliupenda
ulimwengu kiasi cha kumtoa Mwanae pekee,
ili kila mtu amwaminiye asipotee,
bali awe na uzima wa milele.

Swedish (1917)
Ty så älskade Gud världen,
att han utgav sin enfödde Son,
på det att var och en som tror
på honom skall icke förgås,
utan hava evigt liv.

Albanian
Sepse Perëndia e deshi aq botën,
sa dha Birin e tij të vetëmlindurin,
që, kushdo që beson në të, të mos humbasë,
por të ketë jetë të përjetshme.

Slovak
Lebo tak Boh miloval svet,
že dal svojho jediného Syna,
aby nik, kto v neho verí,
nezahynul, ale mal večný život.

Russian
Ибо так возлюбил Бог мир,
что отдал Сына Своего Единородного,
дабы всякий верующий в Него,
не погиб, но имел жизнь вечную.

Romanian
Fiindcă atît de mult a iubit Dumnezeu lumea,
că a dat pe singurul Lui Fiu,
pentruca oricine crede în El,
să nu piară, ci să aibă viaţa vecinică.

Portugese
Deus amou tanto o mundo
que deu o seu único Filho
para que todo aquele
que nele crê não se perca espiritualmente,
mas tenha a vida eterna.

Norwegian (1930)
For så har Gud elsket verden
at han gav sin Sønn,
den enbårne,
forat hver den som tror på ham,
ikke skal fortapes, men ha evig liv.

Dutch
Want God heeft zoveel liefde voor de wereld,
dat Hij Zijn enige Zoon heeft gegeven;
zodat ieder die in Hem gelooft,
niet verloren gaat maar eeuwig leven heeft.

Náhuatl de Guerrero (spoken in Guerrero, Mexico)
Tej, Dios sanoyej oquintlajsojtlac
on tlalticpactlacamej hasta oquitemacac isenteConetzin
para nochi on aquin quineltocas xpolihuis,
yej quipias yencuic nemilistli para nochipa.

Plautdietsch (Mennonite Low German)
Dan Gott haft dise Welt so Leef jehaut,
daut hee sien eentsje Saen jeef,
daut aula, dee aun am jleewe,
nich feloare gone,
oba daut eewje Laewe habe.

Mam de Todos Santos Chuchumatán (Mayan Dialect)
Nimxsen oc cyakˈ cykil xjal te Dios
bix juˈ tzunj e tzaj tkˈoˈnxin jaj junx Tcwalxin cye xjal.
Juˈ tzunj, alcyej xjal ma tzˈocslan tiˈj Tcwalxin,
ckˈojeltzen tchunkˈlal te junx maj,
bix miˈn txiˈ tuj cyamecy te junx maj.

Central Mam (Mayan Dialect)
Quˈn nimxix tqˈaqˈbˈil tkˈuˈj Dios
kyiˈjxjal tzaluˈn twutz txˈotxˈ,
ma chin tzaj tchqˈoˈn,
a ayiˈn Tkˈwal junchˈin,
tuˈntzin kykyaqiljo a kchi nimil wiˈja nlay chi naj,
qalaˈ ktenbˈil kychwinqil te jun majx.

Macedonian
(Macedonia was one of the seven churches of John's Revelation)
Зашто Бог толку ги засака луѓето од овој свет,
што Го даде Својот Единороден Син,
за да не загине ниту еден што верува во Него,
туку да има вечен живот.

Maori (Polynesian - New Zeeland)
Koia ano te aroha o te Atua ki te ao,
homai ana e ia tana Tama kotahi,
kia kahore ai e ngaro te tangata e whakapono ana ki a ia,
engari kia whiwhi ai ki te ora tonu.

Korean
하나님이 세상을 이처럼
사랑하사 독생자를 주셨으니
이는 저를 믿는
자마다 멸망치
않고 영생을 얻게
하려 하심이니라 

Kekchi (more from the Mayans)
Li Dios cˈajoˈ nak quixraheb
li cuanqueb saˈ ruchichˈochˈ nak quixqˈue
li Ralal junaj chi ribil re nak chixjunileb
li ani teˈpa̱ba̱nk re incˈaˈ teˈsachk.
Ta̱cua̱nk ban xyuˈameb chi junelic.

Jacalteco (the Mayans have many dialects)
Wal xin, caw xahancano ay anma
ay yul sat yiban̈kˈinal tiˈ yu Comam Dios,
yuto yati Comam hunpilan Iscˈahol coxol,
yuxinto macn̈eticˈa chichahni yul yanma,
mach chicˈaytoj,
to caw chischah huneˈ iskˈinal mach istan̈bal.

Italian
Perché Dio ha tanto amato il mondo
da dare il suo unico Figlio,
affinché chiunque crede in lui non perisca,
ma abbia vita eterna.

Icelandic
Því svo elskaði Guð heiminn,
að hann gaf son sinn eingetinn,
til þess að hver sem á hann trúir glatist ekki,
heldur hafi eilíft líf.

 Magyar (Hungarian)
Mert úgy szerette Isten e világot,
hogy az õ egyszülött Fiát adta,
hogy valaki hiszen õ benne,
el ne vesszen, hanem örök élete legyen.

Croatian
Bog je toliko volio svijet
da je dao svojega jedinorođenog Sina
da nijedan koji u njega vjeruje ne pogine,
nego da ima vječni život.

Hiligaynon (from the Philippines)
Kay ginahigugma gid sang Dios
ang kalibutan sa bagay nga ginhatag niya
ang iya bugtong nga Anak,
agod nga ang bisan sin-o nga magtuo
sa iya indi mawala kundi hatagan sing kabuhi
nga wala sing katapusan.

Koine Greek (1550)
ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος
τον κοσμον ωστε τον υιον αυτου
τον μονογενη εδωκεν ινα πας ο πιστευων εις
αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

French (Louis II)
Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde
qu'il a donné son Fils unique,
afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse point,
mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.

Spanish (Reina-Valera Antigua)
Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo,
que ha dado á su Hijo unigénito,
para que todo aquel que en él cree,
no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.

Luther's German Bible
Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt,
daß er seinen eingeborenen Sohn gab,
auf daß alle, die an ihn glauben,
nicht verloren werden,
sondern das ewige Leben haben.

Danish
Thi således elskede Gud Verden,
at han gav sin Søn den enbårne,
for at hver den, som tror på ham,
ikke skal fortabes, men have et evigt Liv.

Czech
Vždyť Bůh tak miloval svět,
že dal svého jediného Syna,
aby každý, kdo v něho uvěří,
unikl záhubě a získal věčný život.

Haitian-Creole
Paske, Bondye sitèlman renmen lèzòm
li bay sèl Pitit li a pou yo.
Tout moun ki va mete konfyans yo
nan li p'ap pedi lavi yo.
Okontrè y'a gen lavi ki p'ap janm fini an.

Cakchiquel Occidental (Mayan)
Ri Dios can sibilaj yerajoˈ
ri winek ri yecˈo chuwech re ruwachˈulef,
y rumariˈ xutek cˈa pe ri Rucˈajol waweˈ chuwech re ruwachˈulef.
Riyaˈ xaxu (xaxe wi) cˈa jun Rucˈajol cˈo,
pero xutek pe riche (rixin) chi xabachique
cˈa winek ri xtiniman riche (rixin),
ma xtibe ta pa tijoj pokonal, xa can xticˈojeˈ
cˈa rucˈaslen riche (rixin) xtibe kˈij xtibe sek.

Chinanteco de  Comaltepec (Southern Mexico "Mist Forests)
’Jo̱ co̱ˈ eáamˊ ˈneáangˋ Fidiéeˇ jaléngˈˋ dseaˋ jmɨgüíˋ,
jo̱baˈ cacuǿøiñˋ i̱ Jó̱o̱rˊ camɨ́ɨngˈ˜
do e laco̱ˈ cajúngˉ dseaˋ
do cuaiñ˜ quiáˈˉ jaléngˈˋ dseaˋ jmɨgüíˋ;
jo̱ lajo̱baˈ jaléngˈˋ dseaˋ i̱ jángˈˋ yaang˜ fɨˊ jaguóˋ dseaˋ
do jaˋ quɨ́ˈˉ jmɨɨ˜ faˈ e niˈnáiñˋ quiáˈˉ Fidiéeˇ,
co̱ˈ cøømˋ nilɨseeiñˋ có̱o̱ˈ˜ dseaˋ do lata˜.

Bulgarian (1940)
Защото Бог толкова възлюби света,
че даде Своя Единороден Син,
за да не погине ни един,
който вярва в Него, но да има вечен живот:

Arabic (SVD)
لِكَيْ لاَ يَهْلِكَ كُلُّ مَنْ يُؤْمِنُ بِهِ بَلْ تَكُونُ لَهُ الْحَيَاةُ الأَبَدِيَّةُ.

Amuzgo de Guerrero (Mexico)
’Ncˈe Tyˈo̱o̱tsˈom tˈmaⁿ waa
na mˈaaⁿ na candyaˈ tsˈoom nnˈaⁿ tsjoomnancue,
joˈ chii Ja na ñennco̱ na cwiluiindyo̱ Jnaaⁿ tquiaaⁿ
na tuiindyo̱ cha ticwii cwii tsˈaⁿ
na nntseiyuˈ ñˈeⁿndyo̱ tixocatsuuñe.
Mˈaaⁿ na ticantycwii na wandoˈ. 

 


If you listen carefully, you'll find a little John 1
in the verses of this song about John 3:16.

Know of a translation of John 3:16 that is not listed? Drop it in the comment box along with the language it is in.

On the 3rd Day of Christmas: Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

It was St. John and Mary, Mother of our Lord, at the foot of the cross, to whom Jesus spoke, "Woman, behold your Son ...  Behold your Mother."

In his Gospel John refers to himself as the "beloved disciple" and never speaks of himself by name.

Where Luke's Christmas Story focuses on the virgin birth, John's Christmas Story digs into the Incarnation.  He summarizes the Incarnation in just one sentence:

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

I really like Egil Hovland's setting of this text.



Any mention of John should include the Gospel in a nutshell (John 3:16).

                   For God so loved the world
      that He gave his Only
              begotten Son that who so believeth in Him
            should not Perish
              but have Everlasting
                       Life


Here it is, sung by and English choir.



Here is a different setting to the same text.



And here it is sung in Mandarin!



The text is set to few other Asian languages as well.
My ear tells me they are different languages.
I could be wrong, though.





And now for Cantonese.



Auf Deutsch von Heinrich Schütz



Folk music en Español



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