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John 2:1-3:21
New Living Translation

The Wedding at Cana

2 The next day[a] there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”

5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons.[b] 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.

9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”

11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

12 After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

Jesus Clears the Temple

13 It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration, so Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 In the Temple area he saw merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves for sacrifices; he also saw dealers at tables exchanging foreign money. 15 Jesus made a whip from some ropes and chased them all out of the Temple. He drove out the sheep and cattle, scattered the money changers’ coins over the floor, and turned over their tables. 16 Then, going over to the people who sold doves, he told them, “Get these things out of here. Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”

17 Then his disciples remembered this prophecy from the Scriptures: “Passion for God’s house will consume me.”[c]

18 But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”

19 “All right,” Jesus replied. “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

20 “What!” they exclaimed. “It has taken forty-six years to build this Temple, and you can rebuild it in three days?” 21 But when Jesus said “this temple,” he meant his own body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this, and they believed both the Scriptures and what Jesus had said.

Jesus and Nicodemus

23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.

3 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. 2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again,[d] you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.[e] 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.[f] 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You[g] must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.”

9 “How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

10 Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man[h] has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.[i]

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[j] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.[k]”

Footnotes

  1. 2:1 Greek On the third day; see 1:35, 43.
  2. 2:6 Greek 2 or 3 measures [75 to 113 liters].
  3. 2:17 Or “Concern for God’s house will be my undoing.” Ps 69:9.
  4. 3:3 Or born from above; also in 3:7.
  5. 3:5 Or and spirit. The Greek word for Spirit can also be translated wind; see 3:8.
  6. 3:6 Greek what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7. 3:7 The Greek word for you is plural; also in 3:12.
  8. 3:13 Some manuscripts add who lives in heaven. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
  9. 3:15 Or everyone who believes will have eternal life in him.
  10. 3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that he gave.
  11. 3:21 Or can see God at work in what he is doing.
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John 2:1-3:21
New International Version

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.(A) Jesus’ mother(B) was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Woman,[a](C) why do you involve me?”(D) Jesus replied. “My hour(E) has not yet come.”

5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”(F)

6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,(G) each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.(H) He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs(I) through which he revealed his glory;(J) and his disciples believed in him.(K)

12 After this he went down to Capernaum(L) with his mother(M) and brothers(N) and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts(O)

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(P) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(Q) 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,(R) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.(S) 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house(T) into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c](U)

18 The Jews(V) then responded to him, “What sign(W) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”(X)

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”(Y)

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.(Z) 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.(AA) Then they believed the scripture(AB) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,(AC) many people saw the signs(AD) he was performing and believed(AE) in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind,(AF) for he knew what was in each person.(AG)

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus(AH) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.(AI) 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,(AJ) we know(AK) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs(AL) you are doing if God were not with him.”(AM)

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

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.(AO) 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[f] gives birth to spirit.(AP) 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You[g] 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.”[h](AQ)

9 “How can this be?”(AR) Nicodemus asked.

10 “You are Israel’s teacher,”(AS) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,(AT) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.(AU) 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(AV) except the one who came from heaven(AW)—the Son of Man.[i](AX) 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(AY) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,[j](AZ) 15 that everyone who believes(BA) may have eternal life in him.”[k](BB)

16 For God so loved(BC) the world that he gave(BD) his one and only Son,(BE) that whoever believes(BF) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.(BG) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world(BH) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.(BI) 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned,(BJ) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.(BK) 19 This is the verdict: Light(BL) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.(BM) 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.(BN) 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.

Footnotes

  1. John 2:4 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.
  2. John 2:6 Or from about 75 to about 115 liters
  3. John 2:17 Psalm 69:9
  4. John 2:23 Or in him
  5. John 3:3 The Greek for again also means from above; also in verse 7.
  6. John 3:6 Or but spirit
  7. John 3:7 The Greek is plural.
  8. John 3:8 The Greek for Spirit is the same as that for wind.
  9. John 3:13 Some manuscripts Man, who is in heaven
  10. John 3:14 The Greek for lifted up also means exalted.
  11. John 3:15 Some interpreters end the quotation with verse 21.
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