⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[a] gives birth to spirit.^(A)

Supplementary Offerings

15 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘After you enter the land I am giving you^(A) as a home ³ and you present to the Lord food offerings from the herd or the flock,^(B) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord^(C)—whether burnt offerings^(D) or sacrifices, for special vows or freewill offerings^(E) or festival offerings^(F)— ⁴ then the person who brings an offering shall present to the Lord a grain offering^(G) of a tenth of an ephah^[a] of the finest flour^(H) mixed with a quarter of a hin^[b] of olive oil. ⁵ With each lamb^(I) for the burnt offering or the sacrifice, prepare a quarter of a hin of wine^(J) as a drink offering.^(K)

⁶ “‘With a ram^(L) prepare a grain offering^(M) of two-tenths of an ephah^[c](N) of the finest flour mixed with a third of a hin^[d] of olive oil,^{(O) 7} and a third of a hin of wine^(P) as a drink offering.^(Q) Offer it as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^(R)

⁸ “‘When you prepare a young bull^(S) as a burnt offering or sacrifice, for a special vow^(T) or a fellowship offering^(U) to the Lord, ⁹ bring with the bull a grain offering^(V) of three-tenths of an ephah^[e](W) of the finest flour mixed with half a hin^[f] of olive oil, ¹⁰ and also bring half a hin of wine^(X) as a drink offering.^(Y) This will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(Z) 11} Each bull or ram, each lamb or young goat, is to be prepared in this manner. ¹² Do this for each one, for as many as you prepare.^(AA)

¹³ “‘Everyone who is native-born^(AB) must do these things in this way when they present a food offering as an aroma pleasing to the Lord.^{(AC) 14} For the generations to come,^(AD) whenever a foreigner^(AE) or anyone else living among you presents a food^(AF) offering^(AG) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, they must do exactly as you do. ¹⁵ The community is to have the same rules for you and for the foreigner residing among you; this is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.^(AH) You and the foreigner shall be the same before the Lord: ¹⁶ The same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing among you.^(AI)’”

¹⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁸ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter the land to which I am taking you^{(AJ) 19} and you eat the food of the land,^(AK) present a portion as an offering to the Lord.^{(AL) 20} Present a loaf from the first of your ground meal^(AM) and present it as an offering from the threshing floor.^{(AN) 21} Throughout the generations to come^(AO) you are to give this offering to the Lord from the first of your ground meal.^(AP)

Offerings for Unintentional Sins

²² “‘Now if you as a community unintentionally fail to keep any of these commands the Lord gave Moses^(AQ)— ²³ any of the Lord’s commands to you through him, from the day the Lord gave them and continuing through the generations to come^(AR)— ²⁴ and if this is done unintentionally^(AS) without the community being aware of it,^(AT) then the whole community is to offer a young bull for a burnt offering^(AU) as an aroma pleasing to the Lord,^(AV) along with its prescribed grain offering^(AW) and drink offering,^(AX) and a male goat for a sin offering.^{[g](AY) 25} The priest is to make atonement for the whole Israelite community, and they will be forgiven,^(AZ) for it was not intentional^(BA) and they have presented to the Lord for their wrong a food offering^(BB) and a sin offering.^{(BC) 26} The whole Israelite community and the foreigners residing among them will be forgiven, because all the people were involved in the unintentional wrong.^(BD)

²⁷ “‘But if just one person sins unintentionally,^(BE) that person must bring a year-old female goat for a sin offering.^{(BF) 28} The priest is to make atonement^(BG) before the Lord for the one who erred by sinning unintentionally, and when atonement has been made, that person will be forgiven.^{(BH) 29} One and the same law applies to everyone who sins unintentionally, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.^(BI)

³⁰ “‘But anyone who sins defiantly,^(BJ) whether native-born or foreigner,^(BK) blasphemes the Lord^(BL) and must be cut off from the people of Israel.^{(BM) 31} Because they have despised^(BN) the Lord’s word and broken his commands,^(BO) they must surely be cut off; their guilt remains on them.^(BP)’”

The Sabbath-Breaker Put to Death

³² While the Israelites were in the wilderness,^(BQ) a man was found gathering wood on the Sabbath day.^{(BR) 33} Those who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses and Aaron and the whole assembly, ³⁴ and they kept him in custody, because it was not clear what should be done to him.^{(BS) 35} Then the Lord said to Moses, “The man must die.^(BT) The whole assembly must stone him outside the camp.^(BU)” ³⁶ So the assembly took him outside the camp and stoned him^(BV) to death,^(BW) as the Lord commanded Moses.^(BX)

Tassels on Garments

³⁷ The Lord said to Moses, ³⁸ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come^(BY) you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments,^(BZ) with a blue cord on each tassel. ³⁹ You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember^(CA) all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves^(CB) by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts^(CC) and eyes. ⁴⁰ Then you will remember to obey all my commands^(CD) and will be consecrated to your God.^{(CE) 41} I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God.^(CF) I am the Lord your God.^(CG)’”

Psalm 46^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.^[b] A song.

⁵ This is what the Lord says:

Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

¹⁹ This is what the Lord said to me: “Go and stand at the Gate of the People,^[c] through which the kings of Judah go in and out; stand also at all the other gates of Jerusalem.^{(AP) 20} Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, you kings of Judah and all people of Judah and everyone living in Jerusalem^(AQ) who come through these gates.^{(AR) 21} This is what the Lord says: Be careful not to carry a load on the Sabbath^(AS) day or bring it through the gates of Jerusalem. ²² Do not bring a load out of your houses or do any work on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy, as I commanded your ancestors.^{(AT) 23} Yet they did not listen or pay attention;^(AU) they were stiff-necked^(AV) and would not listen or respond to discipline.^{(AW) 24} But if you are careful to obey me, declares the Lord, and bring no load through the gates of this city on the Sabbath, but keep the Sabbath day holy^(AX) by not doing any work on it, ²⁵ then kings who sit on David’s throne^(AY) will come through the gates of this city with their officials. They and their officials will come riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by the men of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, and this city will be inhabited forever.^{(AZ) 26} People will come from the towns of Judah and the villages around Jerusalem, from the territory of Benjamin and the western foothills, from the hill country and the Negev,^(BA) bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, grain offerings and incense, and bringing thank offerings to the house of the Lord. ²⁷ But if you do not obey^(BB) me to keep the Sabbath^(BC) day holy by not carrying any load as you come through the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will kindle an unquenchable fire^(BD) in the gates of Jerusalem that will consume her fortresses.’”^(BE)

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus^(A) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.^{(B) 2} He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,^(C) we know^(D) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs^(E) you are doing if God were not with him.”^(F)

³ Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[a]”^(G)

⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^{(H) 6} Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit.^{(I) 7} You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[d](J)

⁹ “How can this be?”^(K) Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,”^(L) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(M) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^{(N) 12} I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ever gone into heaven^(O) except the one who came from heaven^(P)—the Son of Man.^{[e](Q) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(R) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[f](S) 15} that everyone who believes^(T) may have eternal life in him.”^[g](U)

¹⁶ For God so loved^(V) the world that he gave^(W) his one and only Son,^(X) that whoever believes^(Y) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^{(Z) 17} For God did not send his Son into the world^(AA) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^{(AB) 18} Whoever believes in him is not condemned,^(AC) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^{(AD) 19} This is the verdict: Light^(AE) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^{(AF) 20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^{(AG) 21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

John Testifies Again About Jesus

²² After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.^{(AH) 23} Now John^(AI) also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. ²⁴ (This was before John was put in prison.)^{(AJ) 25} An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.^{(AK) 26} They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,^(AL) that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified^(AM) about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”

²⁷ To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’^{(AN) 29} The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(AO) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^{(AP) 30} He must become greater; I must become less.”^[h]

³¹ The one who comes from above^(AQ) is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth.^(AR) The one who comes from heaven is above all. ³² He testifies to what he has seen and heard,^(AS) but no one accepts his testimony.^{(AT) 33} Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. ³⁴ For the one whom God has sent^(AU) speaks the words of God, for God^[i] gives the Spirit^(AV) without limit. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.^{(AW) 36} Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,^(AX) but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.