³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(A)unless one is born ^[a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(B)unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is ^(C)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ^8 (D)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The Enduring Word

²² Since you ^(A)have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[a]through the Spirit in ^[b]sincere ^(B)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ^23 (C)having been born again, not of ^[c]corruptible seed but ^[d]incorruptible, ^(D)through the word of God which lives and abides ^[e]forever,