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.

²⁴ “‘For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.^{(A) 25} I will sprinkle^(B) clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse^(C) you from all your impurities^(D) and from all your idols.^{(E) 26} I will give you a new heart^(F) and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone^(G) and give you a heart of flesh.^{(H) 27} And I will put my Spirit^(I) in you and move you to follow my decrees^(J) and be careful to keep my laws.^{(K) 28} Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people,^(L) and I will be your God.^(M)