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There was a man named Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, a ruler and leader of the Jews.

One night Nicodemus came to Jesus. He said, `Master, we know you are a teacher sent by God. We know this because no person could do the big works you are doing if God did not help him.'

Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. No person can see God's kingdom if he is not born again.'

Nicodemus said, `How can a man be born when he is old? Can he go inside of his mother again and be born?'

Jesus said, `I tell you the truth. This new birth is by water and by the Spirit. No person can enter God's kingdom if he has not been born that way.

That which is born of a person is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

You must not be surprised when I say, "You must be born again."

The wind blows where it wants to blow. You can hear the sound of it. But you do not know where it comes from, and you do not know where it goes. It is the same way with everyone who is born of the Spirit.'

Nicodemus asked Jesus, `How can such things be?

10 Jesus answered, `Are you a teacher of the people of Israel and you do not know this?

11 I tell you the truth. We know what we are talking about. We talk about the things we have seen. But you will not believe what we tell you.

12 You do not believe what I have told you about things on earth. So how will you believe if I tell you about things in heaven?

13 No one has ever gone up to heaven - only the One who came down from heaven. That One is the Son of Man who is in heaven.

14 Moses lifted up a snake on a piece of wood in the desert. So the Son of Man must be lifted up.

15 Then everyone who believes in him will not die, but will live for ever.

16 `God loved the world so very, very much that he gave his only Son. Because he did that, everyone who believes in him will not lose his life, but will live for ever.

17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent him to save the world.

18 `Everyone who believes in the Son will not be judged. But everyone who does not believe in him is judged already, because he does not believe in the name of God's only Son.

19 Light came into the world. But people wanted to be in the dark because they did wrong things. They did not want the light. That is why they are judged.

20 Everyone who does wrong things hates light. He does not come to the light because he is afraid people will see what he does and will say it is bad.

21 But everyone who does what is right comes to the light. He wants people to see that God helps him to do what is right.'

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples came into the country of Judea. Jesus stayed there with them and baptized people.

23 John was also baptizing people in the river at Aenon, near the town of Salim. There was much water. People came to him and were baptized.

24 This was before John was put in prison.

25 John's disciples and the leaders of the Jews were talking about how to be clean, the way God wants us to be clean.

26 They came to John and said, `Teacher, there was a man with you on the other side of the Jordan River. You were telling people about him. Now he himself is baptizing and all the people are going to him.'

27 John answered, `A man cannot get anything unless God in heaven gives it to him.

28 You yourselves heard what I said. I am not the Christ but I have been sent ahead of the Christ.

29 The wife belongs to the man who has married her. The man's best friend may stand and listen. And when he hears what that man says, he is very glad for him. So what I hear makes me very glad in the same way.

30 He must become more and more great, but I must become less and less great.

31 `The one who comes from heaven is greater than all other people. The one who is of the earth talks about things on earth. So the one who comes from heaven is greater than all.

32 He tells what he has seen and heard, but no one wants to believe what he says.

33 If a person believes what the one from heaven says, then he also says God is true.

34 The one God sent speaks the words of God. God does not give him the Spirit little by little, but he gives the Spirit in full.

35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his hand.

36 He who believes in the Son will live for ever. He who does not believe in the Son will not live. God will be very angry with him for ever.'

Y HABIA un hombre de los Fariseos que se llamaba Nicodemo, príncipe de los Judíos.

Este vino á Jesús de noche, y díjole: Rabbí, sabemos que has venido de Dios por maestro; porque nadie puede hacer estas señales que tú haces, si no fuere Dios con él.

Respondió Jesús, y díjole: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere otra vez, no puede ver el reino de Dios.

Dícele Nicodemo: ¿Cómo puede el hombre nacer siendo viejo? ¿puede entrar otra vez en el vientre de su madre, y nacer?

Respondió Jesús: De cierto, de cierto te digo, que el que no naciere de agua y del Espíritu, no puede entrar en el reino de Dios.

Lo que es nacido de la carne, carne es; y lo que es nacido del Espíritu, espíritu es.

No te maravilles de que te dije: Os es necesario nacer otra vez.

El viento de donde quiere sopla, y oyes su sonido; mas ni sabes de dónde viene, ni á dónde vaya: así es todo aquel que es nacido del Espíritu.

Respondió Nicodemo, y díjole: ¿Cómo puede esto hacerse?

10 Respondió Jesús, y díjole: ¿Tú eres el maestro de Israel, y no sabes esto?

11 De cierto, de cierto te digo, que lo que sabemos hablamos, y lo que hemos visto, testificamos; y no recibís nuestro testimonio.

12 Si os he dicho cosas terrenas, y no creéis, ¿cómo creeréis si os dijere las celestiales?

13 Y nadie subió al cielo, sino el que descendió del cielo, el Hijo del hombre, que está en el cielo.

14 Y como Moisés levantó la serpiente en el desierto, así es necesario que el Hijo del hombre sea levantado;

15 Para que todo aquel que en él creyere, no se pierda, sino que tenga vida eterna.

16 Porque de tal manera amó Dios al mundo, que ha dado á su Hijo unigénito, para que todo aquel que en él cree, no se pierda, mas tenga vida eterna.

17 Porque no envió Dios á su Hijo al mundo, para que condene al mundo, mas para que el mundo sea salvo por él.

18 El que en él cree, no es condenado; mas el que no cree, ya es condenado, porque no creyó en el nombre del unigénito Hijo de Dios.

19 Y esta es la condenación: porque la luz vino al mundo, y los hombres amaron más las tinieblas que la luz; porque sus obras eran malas.

20 Porque todo aquel que hace lo malo, aborrece la luz y no viene á la luz, porque sus obras no sean redargüidas.

21 Mas el que obra verdad, viene á la luz, para que sus obras sean manifestadas que son hechas en Dios.

22 Pasado esto, vino Jesús con sus discípulos á la tierra de Judea; y estaba allí con ellos, y bautizaba.

23 Y bautizaba también Juan en Enón junto á Salim, porque había allí muchas aguas; y venían, y eran bautizados.

24 Porque Juan, no había sido aún puesto en la carcel.

25 Y hubo cuestión entre los discípulos de Juan y los Judíos acerca de la purificación.

26 Y vinieron á Juan, y dijéronle: Rabbí, el que estaba contigo de la otra parte del Jordán, del cual tú diste testimonio, he aquí bautiza, y todos vienen á él.

27 Respondió Juan, y dijo: No puede el hombre recibir algo, si no le fuere dado del cielo.

28 Vosotros mismos me sois testigos que dije: Yo no soy el Cristo, sino que soy enviado delante de él.

29 El que tiene la esposa, es el esposo; mas el amigo del esposo, que está en pie y le oye, se goza grandemente de la voz del esposo; así pues, este mi gozo es cumplido.

30 A él conviene crecer, mas á mí menguar.

31 El que de arriba viene, sobre todos es: el que es de la tierra, terreno es, y cosas terrenas habla: el que viene del cielo, sobre todos es.

32 Y lo que vió y oyó, esto testifica: y nadie recibe su testimonio.

33 El que recibe su testimonio, éste signó que Dios es verdadero.

34 Porque el que Dios envió, las palabras de Dios habla: porque no da Dios el Espíritu por medida.

35 El Padre ama al Hijo, y todas las cosas dió en su mano.

36 El que cree en el Hijo, tiene vida eterna; mas el que es incrédulo al Hijo, no verá la vida, sino que la ira de Dios está sobre él.

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

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

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

“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!”

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) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit.(I) You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[c] must be born again.’ 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)

“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.

Footnotes

  1. John 3:3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.
  2. John 3:6 Or but spirit
  3. John 3:7 The Greek is plural.
  4. John 3:8 The Greek for Spirit is the same as that for wind.
  5. John 3:13 Some manuscripts Man, who is in heaven
  6. John 3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
  7. John 3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.
  8. John 3:30 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 36.
  9. John 3:34 Greek he