John 3:30 “He must increase; I must decrease.”

John 3:30

He must increase; I must decrease.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

He must increase, but I must decrease.

World English Bible

He must increase, but I must decrease.

American Standard Version

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Geneva Bible 1599

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Darby Translation

He must increase, but I must decrease.

Young's Literal Translation

'Him it behoveth to increase, and me to become less;

Bible in Basic English

He has to become greater while I become less.

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Cross references

“must increase”

Psalm 72:17–19 Isaiah 9:7 Revelation 11:15 Isaiah 53:12 Matthew 13:31–33 Isaiah 53:2

Psalm 72:17–19 · BSB

May his name endure forever; may his name continue as long as the sun shines. In him may all nations be blessed; may they call him blessed.

Isaiah 9:7 · BSB

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The…

Revelation 11:15 · BSB

Then the seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and loud voices called out in heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”

Isaiah 53:12 · BSB

Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoils with the strong, because He has poured out His life unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. Yet He bore the sin of many a…

Matthew 13:31–33 · BSB

He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and planted in his field.

Isaiah 53:2 · BSB

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no stately form or majesty to attract us, no beauty that we should desire Him.

“but”

Colossians 1:18 Hebrews 3:2–6 1 Corinthians 3:5 2 Corinthians 3:7–11 Acts 13:36 Acts 13:37

Colossians 1:18 · BSB

And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and firstborn from among the dead, so that in all things He may have preeminence.

Hebrews 3:2–6 · BSB

He was faithful to the One who appointed Him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.

1 Corinthians 3:5 · BSB

What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, as the Lord has assigned to each his role.

2 Corinthians 3:7–11 · BSB

Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory,

Acts 13:36 · BSB

For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.

Acts 13:37 · BSB

But the One whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

31The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.

Read John 3