Isaiah 9

New International Version

9 ^[a]Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom^(A) for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,^(B) but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

²The people walking in darkness^(C)
    have seen a great light;^(D)
on those living in the land of deep darkness^(E)
    a light has dawned.^(F)
³You have enlarged the nation^(G)
    and increased their joy;^(H)
they rejoice before you
    as people rejoice at the harvest,
as warriors rejoice
    when dividing the plunder.^(I)
⁴For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,^(J)
    you have shattered^(K)
the yoke^(L) that burdens them,
    the bar across their shoulders,^(M)
    the rod of their oppressor.^(N)
⁵Every warrior’s boot used in battle
    and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,^(O)
    will be fuel for the fire.
⁶For to us a child is born,^(P)
    to us a son is given,^(Q)
    and the government^(R) will be on his shoulders.^(S)
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor,^(T) Mighty God,^(U)
    Everlasting^(V) Father,^(W) Prince of Peace.^(X)
⁷Of the greatness of his government^(Y) and peace^(Z)
    there will be no end.^(AA)
He will reign^(AB) on David’s throne
    and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
    with justice^(AC) and righteousness^(AD)
    from that time on and forever.^(AE)
The zeal^(AF) of the Lord Almighty
    will accomplish this.

The Lord’s Anger Against Israel

⁸The Lord has sent a message^(AG) against Jacob;
    it will fall on Israel.
⁹All the people will know it—
    Ephraim^(AH) and the inhabitants of Samaria^(AI)—
who say with pride
    and arrogance^(AJ) of heart,
¹⁰“The bricks have fallen down,
    but we will rebuild with dressed stone;^(AK)
the fig^(AL) trees have been felled,
    but we will replace them with cedars.^(AM)”
¹¹But the Lord has strengthened Rezin’s^(AN) foes against them
    and has spurred their enemies on.
¹²Arameans^(AO) from the east and Philistines^(AP) from the west
    have devoured^(AQ) Israel with open mouth.

Yet for all this, his anger^(AR) is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(AS)

¹³But the people have not returned^(AT) to him who struck^(AU) them,
    nor have they sought^(AV) the Lord Almighty.
¹⁴So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail,
    both palm branch and reed^(AW) in a single day;^(AX)
¹⁵the elders^(AY) and dignitaries^(AZ) are the head,
    the prophets^(BA) who teach lies^(BB) are the tail.
¹⁶Those who guide^(BC) this people mislead them,
    and those who are guided are led astray.^(BD)
¹⁷Therefore the Lord will take no pleasure in the young men,^(BE)
    nor will he pity^(BF) the fatherless and widows,
for everyone is ungodly^(BG) and wicked,^(BH)
    every mouth speaks folly.^(BI)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(BJ)

¹⁸Surely wickedness burns like a fire;^(BK)
    it consumes briers and thorns,^(BL)
it sets the forest thickets ablaze,^(BM)
    so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke.
¹⁹By the wrath^(BN) of the Lord Almighty
    the land will be scorched^(BO)
and the people will be fuel for the fire;^(BP)
    they will not spare one another.^(BQ)
²⁰On the right they will devour,
    but still be hungry;^(BR)
on the left they will eat,^(BS)
    but not be satisfied.
Each will feed on the flesh of their own offspring^[b]:
²¹    Manasseh will feed on Ephraim, and Ephraim on Manasseh;^(BT)
    together they will turn against Judah.^(BU)

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,
his hand is still upraised.^(BV)

Footnotes

Isaiah 9:1 In Hebrew texts 9:1 is numbered 8:23, and 9:2-21 is numbered 9:1-20.
Isaiah 9:20 Or arm

John 3

New International Version

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus^(A) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.^(B) ²He 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)

³Jesus 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!”

⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^(H) ⁶Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[b] gives birth to spirit.^(I) ⁷You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[c] must be born again.’ ⁸The 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? ¹¹Very 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) ¹²I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³No one has ever gone into heaven^(O) except the one who came from heaven^(P)—the Son of Man.^[e]^(Q) ¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(R) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^[f]^(S) ¹⁵that everyone who believes^(T) may have eternal life in him.”^[g]^(U)

¹⁶For 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) ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world^(AA) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^(AB) ¹⁸Whoever 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) ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light^(AE) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^(AF) ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^(AG) ²¹But 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

²²After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.^(AH) ²³Now 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) ²⁵An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.^(AK) ²⁶They 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.”

²⁷To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’^(AN) ²⁹The 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) ³⁰He must become greater; I must become less.”^[h]

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