John 2:13-3:15

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Cleansing the Temple Complex

¹³ The Jewish Passover^(A) was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^{(B) 14} In the temple complex^(C) He found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and He also found the money changers sitting there. ¹⁵ After making a whip out of cords,^(D) He drove everyone out of the temple complex with their sheep^(E) and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. ¹⁶ He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning My Father’s^(F) house^(G) into a marketplace!”^[a](H)

¹⁷ And His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal^(I) for Your house will consume^(J) Me.^(K)[b]

¹⁸ So the Jews replied to Him, “What sign of authority will You show us for doing these things?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this sanctuary,^(L) and I will raise it up in three days.”^(M)

²⁰ Therefore the Jews said, “This sanctuary took 46 years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?”^(N)

²¹ But He was speaking about the sanctuary of His body.^{(O) 22} So when He was raised from the dead,^(P) His disciples remembered that He had said this.^(Q) And they believed the Scripture^(R) and the statement Jesus had made.

²³ While He was in Jerusalem^(S) at the Passover Festival,^(T) many trusted in His name^(U) when they saw the signs He was doing. ²⁴ Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all ²⁵ and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.^(V)

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees^(W) named Nicodemus,^(X) a ruler^(Y) of the Jews. ² This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,^(Z) we know that You have come from God^(AA) as a teacher,^(AB) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”^(AC)

³ Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,^[c](AD) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^(AE)

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?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born^(AF) of water and the Spirit,^[d](AG) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh^(AH) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit^(AI) is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you^[e] must be born^(AJ) again. ⁸ The wind^[f] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.^(AK) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^(AL)

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

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[g] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “I assure you:^(AM) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you^[h] do not accept Our testimony.^{[i] 12} If 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? ¹³ No one has ascended^(AN) into heaven^(AO) except the One who descended from heaven^(AP)—the Son of Man.^{[j](AQ) 14} Just as Moses^(AR) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(AS) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in Him will^[k] have eternal life.^(AT)