John 3:17

Simplified Cowboy Version

For the Boss didn't send the Top Hand to point out people's faults, but to save them from their sins.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn

King James Version (1611)
For God sent not his Sonne into the world to condemne the world: but that the world through him might be saued.

King James Version
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

English Standard Version
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

New American Standard Bible
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

New Century Version
God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

Amplified Bible
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Legacy Standard Bible
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Berean Standard Bible
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

Contemporary English Version
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

Complete Jewish Bible
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved.

Darby Translation
For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him.

Easy-to-Read Version
God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

Geneva Bible (1587)
For God sent not his Sonne into the world, that he should condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saued.

George Lamsa Translation
For God did not send his Son into the world, to condemn the world; but that the world should be saved by him.

Good News Translation
For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

Lexham English Bible
For God did not send his Son into the world in order that he should judge the world, but in order that the world should be saved through him.

Literal Translation
For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

American Standard Version
For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

Bible in Basic English
God did not send his Son into the world to be judge of the world; he sent him so that the world might have salvation through him.

Hebrew Names Version
For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

International Standard Version
For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.Luke 9:56; John 5:45; 8:15; 12:47; 1 John 4:14;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
For Aloha sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might live by him.

Murdock Translation
For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world; but that the world might live by means of him.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For God sent not his sonne into the worlde, to condempne the worlde: but that the worlde through hym myght be saued. He that beleueth on hym, is not condempned:

English Revised Version
For God sent not the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

World English Bible
For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
For God sent not his Son into the world, to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved thro' him.

Weymouth's New Testament
For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For God sente not his sone in to the world, that he iuge the world, but that the world be saued bi him.

Update Bible Version
For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through him.

Webster's Bible Translation
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him may be saved.

New English Translation
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.

New King James Version
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

New Living Translation
God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

New Life Bible
For God did not send His Son into the world to say it is guilty. He sent His Son so the world might be saved from the punishment of sin by Him.

New Revised Standard
"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
For God, sent not, his Son into the world, that he might judge the world, but, that the world might be saved through him.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world: but that the world may be saved by him.

Revised Standard Version
For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
For God sent not his sonne into the worlde to condepne the worlde: but that the worlde through him might be saved.

Young's Literal Translation
For God did not send His Son to the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For God sent not his sonne in to ye worlde to condempne the worlde, but that the worlde might be saued by him.

Mace New Testament (1729)
for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Contextual Overview

¹There was a Jewish leader and Pharisee named, Nicodemus, or Nick for short. ²He didn't want anyone to see him talking to Jesus, so one evening after dark, he sought him out and said, "Hey boss, we all know you are from God because of the miracles you can do." ³But Jesus said, "I'm telling you the truth, unless you are born again, you will never see the inside of God's ranch." ⁴"What in the world are you talking about?" Nick exclaimed. "How can a grown man go back to the womb and be born again?" ⁵Jesus said, "I promise you, no one can get on God's outfit unless they are born of water and Spirit. ⁶Humans can only make humans, but the Holy Spirit can give birth to spiritual life. ⁷So don't think it strange when I say, 'You've gotta be born again.' ⁸Let me explain it this way, you can hear the wind, but can't tell where it comes from. It goes wherever it wants, but you can't explain it. Same thing goes for the Holy Spirit." ⁹"How can this happen though?" Nick asked. ¹⁰Jesus said, "Aren't you one of Israel's teachers? How is it that you cannot understand something as simple as this?

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

God: John 5:45, John 8:15, John 8:16, John 12:47, John 12:48, Luke 9:56

but: John 1:29, John 6:40, Isaiah 45:21-23, Isaiah 49:6, Isaiah 49:7, Isaiah 53:10-12, Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 18:11, Matthew 1:23, Matthew 18:11, Luke 2:10, Luke 2:11, Luke 19:10, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 Timothy 2:6, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 4:14

Reciprocal: Psalms 40:10 - lovingkindness Isaiah 9:6 - unto us a son Zechariah 4:9 - and Matthew 27:43 - I am Luke 20:13 - I will John 3:34 - for God John 7:29 - for John 8:11 - Neither John 9:39 - For John 10:10 - I am John 10:36 - sent John 11:42 - that thou John 14:4 - and the John 17:3 - and Jesus 2 Thessalonians 2:10 - that they 1 Timothy 1:15 - worthy James 3:15 - wisdom

Cross-References

Matthew 22:12
'Hey friend,' he said, 'how did you get through the gate without a hat on? That was the only requirement to attend.' The man stood there speechless.

Matthew 25:45
"And he will answer, 'Listen to me close. When you refused these things to the cowboys and cowgirls who rode for my Father's brand, you refused them to me!'

Luke 19:22
"'You're a sorry excuse for a cowboy!' the new ranch manager roared. 'You've nailed shut your own coffin. If you knew I was a hard man to work for,

John 16:33
I've told you all of this so you will be able to be calm. While you ride for me, you'll have plenty of trouble, but keep your chin up! I have conquered this world."

Romans 3:19
The Code was given in the Good Book, not for others, but us. The Code doesn't tell us how to be perfect, it shows us that we are not and cannot be.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

For God sent not his Son into the world,.... God did send his Son into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, being made of a woman, and made under the law; and which is an instance of his great love, and not of any disrespect to his Son, or of any inequality between them: but then this was not

to condemn the world; even any part of it, or any in it: not the Gentiles, as the Jews thought he would; for though God had suffered them to walk in their own ways, and had winked at, or overlooked the times of their ignorance, and had sent no prophet unto them, nor made any revelation of his will, or any discovery of his special grace unto them; yet he sent his Son now, not to destroy them for their idolatry, and wickedness, but to be the Saviour of them: nor the Jews; for as impenitent and unbelieving, and as wicked as they were, he did not accuse them to the Father, nor judge and condemn them; he was to come again in power and great glory, when he would take vengeance on them, and cause wrath to come upon them to the uttermost, for their disbelief and rejection of him; but this was not his business now: nor the wicked of the world in general; to judge, and condemn them, will be his work, when he comes a second time, in the day God has appointed to judge the world in righteousness.

But the end of his mission, and first coming is,

that the world through him might be saved; even the world of the elect in general, whom God determined to save, and has chosen, to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ, and has appointed Christ to be the salvation of; and who being sent, came into the world to seek and save them; and his chosen people among the Gentiles in particular: wherefore he is said to be God's salvation to the ends of the earth: and all the ends of the earth are called upon to look unto him, and be saved by him, Isaiah 49:6.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

To condemn the world - Not to judge, or pronounce sentence on mankind. God might justly have sent him for this. Man deserved condemnation, and it would have been right to have pronounced it; but God was willing that there should be an offer of pardon, and the sentence of condemnation was delayed. But, although Jesus did not come then to condemn mankind, yet the time is coming when he will return to judge the living and the dead, Act 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Matthew 25:31-46.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse John 3:17. For God sent not, c.] It was the opinion of the Jews that the Gentiles, whom they often term the world, עלמה olmah, and omoth haolam, אומות העולם nations of the world, were to be destroyed in the days of the Messiah. Christ corrects this false opinion and teaches here a contrary doctrine. God, by giving his Son, and publishing his design in giving him, shows that he purposes the salvation, not the destruction, of the world-the Gentile people: nevertheless, those who will not receive the salvation he had provided for them, whether Jews or Gentiles, must necessarily perish; for this plain reason, There is but one remedy, and they refuse to apply it.