John 3

Christ Witnesses to Nicodemus

3There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ^2aThis man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for ^bno one can do these signs that You do unless ^cGod is with him.”

³Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^dunless one is born ¹again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

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, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^eunless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is ^fflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ^8gThe wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ^h“How can these things be?”

¹⁰Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ¹¹ⁱMost assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and ^jyou do not receive Our witness. ¹²If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ^13kNo one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man ²who is in heaven. ^14lAnd as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so ^mmust the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever ⁿbelieves in Him should ³not perish but ^ohave eternal life. ^16pFor God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten ^qSon, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ^17rFor God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

^18s“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, ^tthat the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For ^ueveryone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been ^vdone in God.”

John the Baptist Witnesses Concerning Christ

²²After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them ^wand baptized. ²³Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near ^xSalim, because there was much water there. ^yAnd they came and were baptized. ²⁴For ^zJohn had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. ²⁶And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, ^ato whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all ^bare coming to Him!”

²⁷John answered and said, ^c“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^d‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ^e‘I have been sent before Him.’ ^29fHe who has the bride is the bridegroom; but ^gthe friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. ^30hHe must increase, but I must decrease. ³¹ⁱHe who comes from above ^jis above all; ^khe who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. ^lHe who comes from heaven is above all. ³²And ^mwhat He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. ³³He who has received His testimony ⁿhas certified that God is true. ^34oFor He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit ^pby measure. ^35qThe Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. ^36rHe who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the ^swrath of God abides on him.”