²⁹ If you know that ^(A)he is righteous, you may be sure that ^(B)everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.

³ Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is ^(A)born ^(B)again^[a] he cannot ^(C)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, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born ^(D)of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Overcoming the World

5 ^(A)Everyone who believes that ^(B)Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and ^(C)everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

⁷ Little children, ^(A)let no one deceive you. ^(B)Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

God Is Love

⁷ Beloved, ^(A)let us love one another, for love is from God, and ^(B)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

¹³ who ^(A)were born, ^(B)not of blood ^(C)nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

⁴ For ^(A)everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—^(B)our faith.

^9 (A)No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's^[a] seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, ^(B)nor is the one who ^(C)does not love his brother.

⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become ^(A)partakers of the divine nature, ^(B)having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.