3Verse 1Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a ruler of the Jews.Verse 2He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that yoʋ are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs yoʋ are doing unless God is with him.”Verse 3Jesus answered him,“Truly, truly, I say to yoʋ, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”Verse 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter the womb of his mother a second time and be born?”Verse 5Jesus answered,“Truly, truly, I say to yoʋ, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.Verse 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.Verse 7Do not be amazed that I said to yoʋ, ‘You must be born again.’Verse 8The wind blows where it wishes. Yoʋ hear the sound of it, but yoʋ do not know where it is coming from or where it is going; so it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”Verse 9In response Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”Verse 10Jesus answered him,“Yoʋ are the teacher of Israel, and yoʋ do not understand these things?Verse 11Truly, truly, I say to yoʋ, we speak of what we know, and we testify about what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony.Verse 12If I have spoken to you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things?Verse 13No one has ascended into heaven, except he who descended from heaven, the Son of+Man, who is in heaven.Verse 14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,Verse 15so that everyone who believes in him should+not perish but have eternal life.Verse 16“For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.Verse 17For God did not send+his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him.Verse 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.Verse 19This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.Verse 20For whoever does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be exposed.Verse 21But whoever lives by the truth comes to the light, so that it may be evident that his works have been done in obedience to God.”
John the Baptist Exalts Christ
Verse 22After this Jesus went into the Judean countryside along with his disciples, and he spent some time there with them, baptizing people.Verse 23Now John was also baptizing people in Aenon near+Salem, because there was plenty of water there, and people were coming to him and being baptized.Verse 24(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)Verse 25Now a discussion arose between the disciples of John and+a Jew about purification.Verse 26So John's disciples came and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with yoʋ beyond the Jordan, about whom yoʋ have testified, behold, he is baptizing people, and everyone is going to him.”Verse 27John replied, “A person cannot receive+anything unless it is given to him from heaven.Verse 28You yourselves can+testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but rather, ‘I have been sent ahead of him.’Verse 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine has been made full.Verse 30He must increase, but I must decrease.”
He Who Comes from Heaven
Verse 31He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. But he who comes from heaven is above all.Verse 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.Verse 33Whoever does receive his testimony has certified that God is true.Verse 34For he whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without measure.Verse 35The Father loves the Son and has put all things in his hand.Verse 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life; rather, the wrath of God+remains upon him.