John 3

1 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a Jewish leader.

2 He came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could do these miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him."

3 Jesus answered, "I assure you, unless someone is born anew,t it’s not possible to see God’s kingdom."

4 Nicodemus asked, "How is it possible for an adult to be born? It’s impossible to enter the mother’s womb for a second time and be born, isn’t it?"
5 Jesus answered, "I assure you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom.6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’

8 God’s Spiritt blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

9 Nicodemus said, "How are these things possible?"
10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things?11 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony.12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One.t14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human Onet be lifted up15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.16 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.17 God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

18 Whoever believes in him isn’t judged; whoever doesn’t believe in him is already judged, because they don’t believe in the name of God’s only Son.
19 "This is the basis for judgment: The light came into the world, and people loved darkness more than the light, for their actions are evil.20 All who do wicked things hate the light and don’t come to the light for fear that their actions will be exposed to the light.

21 Whoever does the truth comes to the light so that it can be seen that their actions were done in God."

John’s final witness

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into Judea, where he spent some time with them and was baptizing.23 John was baptizing at Aenon near Salem because there was a lot of water there, and people were coming to him and being baptized. (

24 John hadn’t yet been thrown into prison.)
25 A debate started between John’s disciples and a certain Jew about cleansing rituals.

26 They came to John and said, "Rabbi, look! The man who was with you across the Jordan, the one about whom you testified, is baptizing and everyone is flocking to him."
27 John replied, "No one can receive anything unless it is given from heaven.28 You yourselves can testify that I said that I’m not the Christ but that I’m the one sent before him.29 The groom is the one who is getting married. The friend of the groom stands close by and, when he hears him, is overjoyed at the groom’s voice. Therefore, my joy is now complete.30 He must increase and I must decrease.31 The one who comes from above is above all things. 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 things.32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.33 Whoever accepts his testimony confirms that God is true.34 The one whom God sent speaks God’s words because God gives the Spirit generously.35 The Father loves the Son and gives everything into his hands.

36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever doesn’t believe in the Son won’t see life, but the angry judgment of God remains on them."

Jesus leaves Judea

John 3

Conversation with Nicodemus

1 Now a certain man, a Pharisees named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council,t2 came to Jesust at nightts and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signss that you do unless God is with him.”3 Jesus replied,t “I tell you the solemn truth,t unless a person is born from above,ts he cannot see the kingdom of God.”s

4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?”t
5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth,t unless a person is born of water and spirit,ts he cannot enter the kingdom of God.6 What is born of the flesh is flesh,s and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must allt be born from above.’t

8 The windt blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”s
9 Nicodemus replied,t “How can these things be?”s10 Jesus answered,t “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?s11 I tell you the solemn truth,t we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, butt you peoplet do not accept our testimony.s12 If I have told you peoplet about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?s13 No onet has ascendeds into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man.ss14 Just ast Moses lifted up the serpentsin the wilderness,s so must the Son of Man be lifted up,s

15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”ts
16 For this is the wayts God loved the world: He gave his one and onlyt Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perisht but have eternal life.s17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,s but that the world should be saved through him.18 The one who believes in him is not condemned.t The one who does not believe has been condemnedt already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and onlyt Son of God.19 Now this is the basis for judging:t that the light has come into the world and peoplet loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.

21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God.s

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

22 After this,t Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing.23 Johns was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim,t because water was plentiful there, and people were comingt to himt and being baptized.

24 (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)s
25 Now a dispute came about between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jewst concerning ceremonial washing.ts

26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River,t about whom you testified – see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!”
27 John replied,t “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ts but rather, ‘I have been sent before him.’29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatlyt when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete.t

30 He must become more important while I become less important.”s
31 The one who comes from above is superior to all.t The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things.t The one who comes from heavens is superior to all.st32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.33 The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful.t34 For the one whom God has sentt speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly.t35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority.t

36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejectst the Son will not see life, but God’s wratht remainst on him.