John 3:1-17
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Jesus and Nicodemus
3 There was a man from the Pharisees(A) named Nicodemus,(B) a ruler(C) of the Jews. 2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,(D) we know that You have come from God(E) as a teacher,(F) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”(G)
3 Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”(I)
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(J) of water and the Spirit,[b](K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit(M) is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you[c] must be born(N) again. 8 The wind[d] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(P)
9 “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacher[e] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “I assure you:(Q) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you[f] do not accept Our testimony.[g] 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(R) into heaven(S) except the One who descended from heaven(T)—the Son of Man.[h](U) 14 Just as Moses(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in Him will[i] have eternal life.(X)
16 “For God loved(Y) the world in this way:[j] He gave His One and Only(Z) Son,(AA) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.(AB) 17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn(AC) the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 3:3 The same Gk word can mean again or from above (also in v. 7).
- John 3:5 Or spirit, or wind; the Gk word pneuma can mean wind, spirit, or Spirit, each of which occurs in this context.
- John 3:7 The pronoun is pl in Gk.
- John 3:8 The Gk word pneuma can mean wind, spirit, or Spirit, each of which occurs in this context.
- John 3:10 Or the teacher
- John 3:11 In Gk, the word you is pl here and throughout v. 12.
- John 3:11 The pronouns we and our refer to Jesus and His authority to speak for the Father.
- John 3:13 Other mss add who is in heaven
- John 3:15 Other mss add not perish, but
- John 3:16 The Gk word houtos, commonly translated in Jn 3:16 as “so” or “so much” occurs over 200 times in the NT. Almost without exception it is an adverb of manner, not degree (for example, see Mt 1:18). It only means “so much” when modifying an adjective (see Gl 3:3; Rv 16:18). Manner seems primarily in view in Jn 3:16, which explains the HCSB‘s rendering.
John 3:1-17
King James Version
3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
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