International Standard Version | New Living Translation |
1Now there was a man from the Pharisees, a leader of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus. | 1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. |
2He came to Jesus at night and told him, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, because no one can perform these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." | 2After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” |
3Jesus replied to him, "Truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God." | 3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” |
4Nicodemus asked him, "How can a person be born when he is old? He can't go back into his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?" | 4“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” |
5Jesus answered, "Truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. | 5Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. |
6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. | 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. |
7Don't be astonished that I told you, 'All of you must be born from above.' | 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ |
8The wind blows where it wants to. You hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. That's the way it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." | 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” |
9Nicodemus asked him, "How can that be?" | 9“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. |
10Jesus answered him, "You're the teacher of Israel, and you can't understand this? | 10Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? |
11Truly, I tell you emphatically, we know what we're talking about, and we testify about what we've seen. Yet you people do not accept our testimony. | 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. |
12If I have told you people about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? | 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly 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 Son of Man who is in heaven. | 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. |
14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, | 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, |
15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. | 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. |
16"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his unique Son so that everyone who believes in him might not be lost but have eternal life. | 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. |
17Because God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. | 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. |
18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God's unique Son. | 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. |
19And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil. | 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. |
20Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed. | 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. |
21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God's approval." | 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. ” John the Baptist Exalts Jesus |
22After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside. He spent some time there with them and began baptizing. | 22Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people. |
23John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People kept coming and were being baptized, | 23At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. |
24since John had not yet been thrown into prison. | 24(This was before John was thrown into prison.) |
25Then a controversy about ritual purification sprang up between a certain Jew and John's disciples, | 25A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. |
26so they went to John and told him, "Rabbi, the man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, the one about whom you testified—look, he's baptizing, and everyone is going to him!" | 26So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” |
27John replied, "No one can receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven. | 27John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. |
28You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' | 28You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ |
29It is the bridegroom who gets the bride, yet the bridegroom's friend, who merely stands by and listens for him, is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom's voice. That's why this joy of mine is now complete. | 29It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. |
30He must become more important, but I must become less important." | 30He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. |
31The one who comes from above is superior to everything. The one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to everything. | 31“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. |
32He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. | 32He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! |
33The person who has accepted his testimony has acknowledged that God is truthful. | 33Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. |
34The one whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God does not give the Spirit in limited measure to him. | 34For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. |
35The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands. | 35The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. |
36The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him. | 36And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” |
The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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