John 3
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1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.1Now there was a man of 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 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.”
3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”3Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one 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?”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 replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one 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.6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘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 wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.9Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”
10Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?10Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?
11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.11Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive 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 earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you 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 he 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,14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.15that whoever 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.16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should 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 in order that the world might be saved 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.18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the 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.19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works 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 wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should 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 whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in 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 into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.
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 at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized
24(This was before John was thrown into prison.)24(for John had not yet been put in prison).
25A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.25Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over 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.”26And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
27John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.27John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given 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 bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before 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.29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now 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.31He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He 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 bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.
33Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.33Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
34For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.34For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for 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 hand.
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.”36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but 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.ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.
John 2
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