| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1There was a man from the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. | 1Now there was a man from the Pharisees, a leader of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus. |
| 2This man came to Him at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him." | 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." |
| 3Jesus replied, "I assure you: Unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."" | 3Jesus replied to him, "Truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born from above he cannot see the kingdom of God." |
| 4But 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?" | 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?" |
| 5Jesus answered, "I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. | 5Jesus answered, "Truly, I tell you emphatically, unless a person is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. |
| 6Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. | 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. |
| 7Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. | 7Don't be astonished that I told you, 'All of you must be born from above.' |
| 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."" | 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." |
| 9How can these things be?" asked Nicodemus. | 9Nicodemus asked him, "How can that be?" |
| 10"Are you a teacher of Israel and don't know these things?" Jesus replied. | 10Jesus answered him, "You're the teacher of Israel, and you can't understand this? |
| 11"I assure you: We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you do not accept Our testimony. | 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. |
| 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? | 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? |
| 13No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven--the Son of Man. | 13"No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven. |
| 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, | 14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, |
| 15so that everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life. | 15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. |
| 16"For 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. | 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. |
| 17For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. | 17Because God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn 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, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God. | 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. |
| 19"This, then, is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. | 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. |
| 20For everyone who practices wicked things hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. | 20Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed. |
| 21But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God." | 21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God's approval." |
| 22After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. | 22After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside. He spent some time there with them and began baptizing. |
| 23John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, | 23John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People kept coming and were being baptized, |
| 24since John had not yet been thrown into prison. | 24since John had not yet been thrown into prison. |
| 25Then a dispute arose between John's disciples and a Jew about purification. | 25Then a controversy about ritual purification sprang up between a certain Jew and John's disciples, |
| 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 flocking to Him." | 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!" |
| 27John responded, "No one can receive a single thing unless it's given to him from heaven. | 27John replied, "No one can receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven. |
| 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I've been sent ahead of Him.' | 28You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.' |
| 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. | 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. |
| 30He must increase, but I must decrease." | 30He must become more important, but I must become less important." |
| 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. | 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. |
| 32He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. | 32He testifies about 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. | 33The person who has accepted his testimony has acknowledged that God is truthful. |
| 34For God sent Him, and He speaks God's words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. | 34The one whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God does not give the Spirit in limited measure to him. |
| 35The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands. | 35The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands. |
| 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. | 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. |
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