John 3
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New Living TranslationChristian Standard Bible
1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.1There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
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.”2This man came to him at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him."
3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”3Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
4“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”4"How can anyone be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked him. "Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?"
5Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.5Jesus answered, "Truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.6Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’7Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again.
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.”8The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
9“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.9"How can these things be?" asked Nicodemus.
10Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?10"Are you a teacher of Israel and don't know these things?" Jesus replied.
11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.11"Truly I tell you, we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony.
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?12If I have told you about earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven--the Son of Man.
14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,14"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.15so that everyone who believes in him may 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.16For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
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.18Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
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.19This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.
20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.20For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
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 Jesus21But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God."
22Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people.22After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and 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.23John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized,
24(This was before John was thrown into prison.)24since John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.25Then a dispute arose between John's disciples and a Jew about purification.
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.”26So they came to John and told him, "Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing--and everyone is going to him."
27John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.27John responded, "No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven.
28You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I've been sent ahead of him.'
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.29He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom's friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom's voice. So this joy of mine is complete.
30He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.30He must increase, but I must decrease."
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.31The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
32He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony.
33Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.33The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.
34For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.34For the one whom God sent speaks God's words, since he gives the Spirit without measure.
35The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands.
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.”36The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
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.The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.
John 2
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