1There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers.2He came to Jesus at night and said, ‘Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren’t, you couldn’t do the signs you are doing.’3Jesus replied, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom unless they are born again.’4‘How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. ‘They can’t go back inside their mother! They can’t be born a second time!’5Jesus answered, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are born with water and the Holy Spirit.6People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit.7You should not be surprised when I say, “You must all be born again.”8The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born with the Spirit.’9‘How can this be?’ Nicodemus asked.10‘You are Israel’s teacher,’ said Jesus. ‘Don’t you understand these things?11What I’m about to tell you is true. We speak about what we know. We are witnesses about what we have seen. But still you people do not accept what we say.12I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you do not believe. So how will you believe if I speak about heavenly things?13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man.14Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must also be lifted up.15Then everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.’16God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.17God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.18Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. They have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.19Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil.20Everyone who does evil deeds hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen.21But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. They live by the truth with God’s help. They come into the light so that it will be easy to see their good deeds.
John the Baptist is a witness about Jesus
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the countryside of Judea. There he spent some time with them. And he baptised people there.23John was also baptising. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water. People were coming and being baptised.24This was before John was put in prison.25Some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew began to argue. They argued about special washings to make people ‘clean’.26They came to John and here is what they said to him. ‘Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the River Jordan is baptising people. He is the one you told us about. Everyone is going to him.’27John replied, ‘A person can receive only what God gives them from heaven.28You yourselves are witnesses that I said, “I am not the Messiah. I was sent ahead of him.”29The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who helps the groom waits and listens for him. He is full of joy when he hears the groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.30He must become more important. I must become less important.31‘The one who comes from above is above everything. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks like someone from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above everything.32He is a witness to what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says.33Anyone who has accepted it has said, “Yes. God is truthful.”34The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words. That’s because God gives the Holy Spirit without limit.35The Father loves the Son and has put everything into his hands.36Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Anyone who does not believe in the Son will not have life. God’s anger remains on them.’
John 3
English Standard Version
You Must Be Born Again
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. (Lu 24:20; Joh 7:50; Joh 19:39)2This man came to Jesus[1] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” (Mt 22:16; Joh 1:38; Joh 5:36; Joh 9:29; Joh 9:33; Joh 12:42; Ac 2:22; Ac 10:38)3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again[2] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (Joh 1:13; Joh 3:36; 2Co 5:17; Ga 6:15; 1Pe 1:3; 1Pe 1:23)4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. (Eze 36:25; Mr 16:16; Ac 2:38; Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22)6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[3] (Joh 6:63; 1Co 15:50)7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[4] must be born again.’ (Joh 3:3; Joh 5:28)8The wind[5] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (Ec 11:5; Eze 37:9; 1Co 12:11)9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” (Joh 6:52; Joh 6:60)10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things? (Joh 9:30)11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you[6] do not receive our testimony. (Joh 3:32)12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?13No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[7] (Pr 30:4; Joh 3:31; Joh 6:38; Joh 6:42; Joh 6:62; Joh 7:34; Ac 2:34; Ro 10:6; 1Co 15:47; Eph 4:9)14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, (Nu 21:9; Joh 8:28; Joh 12:32; Joh 12:34)15that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[8] (Joh 3:36; Joh 15:4; Joh 16:33; 1Jo 5:12; 1Jo 5:20)
22After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. (Joh 3:26; Joh 4:1)23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized24(for John had not yet been put in prison). (Mt 4:12; Joh 5:35)25Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. (Joh 2:6)26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” (Joh 1:7; Joh 3:2; Joh 12:19)27John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. (Mt 21:25; Joh 6:65; 1Co 4:7; Heb 5:4; Jas 1:17)28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ (Mal 3:1; Mr 1:2; Lu 1:17; Joh 1:20; Ac 19:4)29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. (Jud 14:20; So 5:1; Mt 9:15; Mt 25:1)30He must increase, but I must decrease.”[10] (Mt 3:11)31He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. (Joh 3:13; Joh 8:23; Ro 9:5; Eph 1:21; 1Jo 4:5)32He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. (Joh 1:11; Joh 3:11; Joh 3:19; Joh 5:43; Joh 12:37)33Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. (Joh 6:27; 2Co 1:22; Eph 1:13; 1Jo 5:10; Re 7:3)34For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. (Eze 4:11; Eze 4:16; Joh 3:17)35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. (Mt 28:18; Joh 5:20)36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (Mt 19:16; Joh 3:3; Joh 3:15; Joh 5:24; Joh 6:40; Joh 6:47; Joh 6:54; Joh 11:25; Joh 20:31; Ro 2:8; Eph 5:6; Col 3:6; 1Jo 5:12)