1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees
named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus 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.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly I
tell you, unless one is born anew, † he can’t
see God’s Kingdom.”
4 Nicodemus 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?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell
you, unless one is born of water and Spirit,
he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh.
That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You
must be born anew.’ 8 The wind‡ blows where it wants to, and
you hear its sound, but don’t know where
it comes from and where it is going. So is
everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can
these things be?”
10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the
teacher of Israel, and don’t understand
these things?
11 Most certainly I tell you, we speak that
which we know and testify of that which
we have seen, and you don’t receive our
witness.
12 If I told you earthly things and you
don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell
you heavenly things?
13 No one has ascended into heaven but
he who descended out of heaven, the Son
of Man, who is in heaven.
14 As Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of Man
be lifted up,
15 that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only born§ Son, that whoever
believes in him should not perish, but have
eternal life.
17 For God didn’t send his Son into the
world to judge the world, but that the
world should be saved through him.
18 He who believes in him is not judged.
He who doesn’t believe has been judged
already, because he has not believed in the
name of the only born Son of God.
19 This is the judgment, that the light has
come into the world, and men loved the
darkness rather than the light, for their
works were evil.
20 For everyone who does evil hates the
light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his
works would be exposed.
21 But he who does the truth comes to the
light, that his works may be revealed, that
they have been done in God.”
22 After these things, Jesus came with his
disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed
there with them and baptized.
23 John also was baptizing in Enon near
Salim, because there was much water
there. They came and were baptized;
24 for John was not yet thrown into
prison.
25 Therefore a dispute arose on the part
of John’s disciples with some Jews about
purification.
26 They came to John and said to him,
“Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the
Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold,
he baptizes, and everyone is coming
to him.”
27 John answered, “A man can receive
nothing unless it has been given him from
heaven.
28 You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am
not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before
him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom;
but the friend of the bridegroom,
who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly
because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore
my joy is made full.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 “He who comes from above is above
all. He who is from the earth belongs to
the earth and speaks of the earth. He who
comes from heaven is above all.
32 What he has seen and heard, of that he
testifies; and no one receives his witness.
33 He who has received his witness has
set his seal to this, that God is true.
34 For he whom God has sent speaks the
words of God; for God gives the Spirit without
measure.
35 The Father loves the Son, and has
given all things into his hand.
36 One who believes in the Son has eternal
life, but one who disobeys† the Son
won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains
on him.”
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