Jesus and Nicodemus
(Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This one came to Him by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one is able to do these signs that You do unless God may be with him.”

3Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless anyone may be born from above,† he is not able to see the kingdom of God.”

4Nicodemus says to Him, “How is a man able to be born, being old? Is he able to enter into the womb of his mother a second time and to be born?”

5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless anyone may be born of water and of the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God. 6That having been born of the flesh is flesh, and that having been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘It is necessary for you⁺† to be born from above.’ 8The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know from where it comes and where it goes. Thus is everyone having been born of the Spirit.”

9Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How are these things able to be?”

10Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things? 11Truly, truly, I say to you that we speak what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and you⁺ do not receive our testimony.

12If I spoke to you⁺ of earthly things and you⁺ do not believe, how will you⁺ believe if I should speak to you⁺ of heavenly things? 13And no one has gone up into heaven except the One having come down out of heaven, the Son of Man.† 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,† thus it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up, 15so that everyone believing in Him† may have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world that He gave the only begotten† Son, so that everyone believing in Him should not perish but may have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son† into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18The one believing in Him is not judged, but the one not believing already has been judged, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

19And 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. 20For everyone practicing evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, so that his works may not be exposed; 21but the one doing the truth comes to the Light, so that his works may be manifest, that they are having been worked in God.Ӡ

John’s Testimony about Jesus

22After these things, Jesus and His disciples went into the land of Judea, and there He was staying with them and was baptizing.

23Now John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim,† because the waters were many there, and they were coming and were being baptized. 24For John was not yet thrown into the prison.

25Then a debate arose from the disciples of John with a Jew† about purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, this One is baptizing, and all are coming to Him.”

27John answered and said, “A man is not is able to receive one thing unless it may be given to him from heaven. 28You⁺ yourselves testify to me† that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I am sent before Him.’ 29The one having the bride is the bridegroom; and the friend of the bridegroom, the one standing and hearing him, rejoices with joy because of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30It is necessary for Him to increase, but for me to decrease.

31The One coming from above is above all. The one being from the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth. The One coming from heaven is above all.† 32What He has seen and heard, this He testifies, and no one receives His testimony. 33The one having received His testimony has sealed that God is true. 34For the One whom God sent speaks the words of God, for He gives the Spirit not by measure.

35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. 36The one believing in the Son has eternal life; but the one not obeying the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains† on him.”†

Footnotes:

3 Or born again; also in verse 7.
7 The Greek word for you is plural; also in verse 12.
13 BYZ and TR include who is in heaven.
14 Or desert
15 BYZ and TR include may not perish, but.
16 Or one and only; also in verse 18
17 BYZ and TR His Son
21 Some translators close this quotation after verse 15.
23 RP Salem
25 TR and the Jews
28 RP does not include to me
31 Tischendorf The One coming from heaven.
36 F35 will remain
36 Some translators close this quotation after verse 30.