Jesus and Nicodemus

1There was a man from the •Phariseesa named Nicodemus,b a rulerc of the •Jews. 2This man came to Him at night and said, “•Rabbi,d we know that You have come from Gode as a teacher,f for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”g

3Jesus replied, “•I assure you: Unless someone is born again,h,i he cannot see the kingdom of God.”j

4“But 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 answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is bornk of water and the Spirit,l,m he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6Whatever is born of the fleshn is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirito is spirit. 7Do not be amazed that I told you that youp must be bornq again. 8The windr blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.s So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”t

9“How can these things be? ” asked Nicodemus.

10“Are you a teacheru of Israel and don’t know these things? ” Jesus replied. 11“I assure you:v We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but youw do not accept Our testimony.x 12If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? 13No one has ascendedy into heavenz except the One who descended from heavenaa — the •Son of Man.ab,ac 14Just as Mosesad lifted up the snake in the wilderness,ae so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in Him willaf have eternal life.ag

16“For God lovedah the world in this way:ai He gave His •One and Onlyaj Son,ak so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.al 17For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemnam the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,an because he has not believed in the nameao of the One and Only Sonap of God.

19“This, then, is the judgment: The lightaq has come into the world,ar and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20For everyone who practices wicked things hatesas the light and avoids it,at so that his deedsau may not be exposed. 21But anyone who lives byav the truth comes to the light, so that his worksaw may be shown to be accomplished by God.”ax

Jesus and John the Baptist

22After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. 23Johnay also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24since John had not yet been thrown into prison.az

25Then a dispute arose between John’s disciplesba and a Jewbb about purification.bc 26So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,bd the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,be is baptizing — and everyone is flocking to Him.”bf

27John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. 28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the •Messiah,bg but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’bh 29He who has the bridebi is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatlybj at the groom’s voice. So this joybk of mine is complete. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The One from Heaven

31The One who comes from abovebl is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.bm The One who comes from heaven is above all.bn 32He testifiesbo to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. 33The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.bp 34For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since Hebq gives the Spiritbr without measure. 35The Father loves the Sonbs and has given all things into His hands.bt 36The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.bu