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Now de there was eimi a man anthrōpos of ek the ho Pharisees Pharisaios named onoma Nicodemus Nikodēmos, a ruler archōn of the ho Jews Ioudaios. This houtos man came erchomai to pros Jesus autos by night nyx and kai said legō to him autos, “ Rabbi rhabbi, we know oida that hoti you are erchomai a teacher didaskalos come erchomai from apo God theos, for gar no oudeis one is able dynamai to perform poieō these houtos · ho miraculous sēmeion signs that hos you sy are doing poieō unless ean mē God theos is eimi · ho with meta him autos.” Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai him autos, · kai saying legō, “ I tell legō you sy the solemn amēn truth amēn, unless ean mē a person tis is born gennaō again anōthen he cannot ou see the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos.” Nicodemus Nikodēmos said legō to pros him autos, · ho How pōs can dynamai a man anthrōpos be born gennaō when he is eimi old gerōn? He cannot enter eiserchomai into eis · ho his autos mother’ s mētēr womb koilia · ho and kai be born gennaō a second deuteros time , can he ?” Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai, “ I tell legō you sy the solemn amēn truth amēn, unless ean mē one tis is born gennaō of ek water hydōr and kai Spirit pneuma, he cannot ou enter eiserchomai eis the ho kingdom basileia of ho God theos. What ho is born gennaō of ek the ho flesh sarx is eimi flesh sarx, and kai what ho is born gennaō of ek the ho Spirit pneuma is eimi spirit pneuma. Do not be astonished thaumazō that hoti I said legō to you sy, ‘ You hymeis must dei be born gennaō again anōthen.’ The ho wind pneuma blows pneō wherever hopou it chooses thelō, and kai you hear akouō · ho its autos sound phōnē, but alla do not ou know oida where pothen it is coming erchomai from or kai where pou it is going hypagō. So houtōs it is eimi with everyone pas · ho born gennaō of ek the ho Spirit pneuma.” Nicodemus Nikodēmos replied apokrinomai, · kai saying legō to him autos, “ How pōs can dynamai these houtos things be ginomai?” 10 Jesus Iēsous answered apokrinomai, · kai saying legō to him autos, “ Are eimi you sy the ho teacher didaskalos of ho Israel Israēl and kai you do ginōskō not ou understand ginōskō these houtos things ?”

11  I tell legō you sy the solemn amēn truth amēn, we speak about laleō what hos we know oida and kai testify about martyreō what hos we have seen horaō, but kai you lambanō people do lambanō not ou accept lambanō · ho our hēmeis testimony martyria. 12 If ei I have told legō you hymeis about legō · ho earthly epigeios things and kai you do not ou believe pisteuō, how pōs will you believe pisteuō if ean I tell legō you hymeis about · ho heavenly epouranios things ? 13 · kai No oudeis one has gone anabainō up to eis · ho heaven ouranos except ei mē the ho one who came down katabainō out ek of · ho heaven ouranos, the ho Son hyios of ho Man anthrōpos. 14 And kai just kathōs as Moses Mōysēs lifted hypsoō up the ho serpent ophis in en the ho wilderness erēmos, so houtōs must dei the ho Son hyios of ho Man anthrōpos be lifted hypsoō up , 15 so hina that everyone pas who ho believes pisteuō in en him autos may have echō eternal aiōnios life zōē.

16  For gar this houtōs is how God theos loved agapaō · ho the ho world kosmos: he gave didōmi his ho one and only monogenēs Son hyios · ho that hina everyone pas who ho believes pisteuō in eis him autos should not perish apollymi but alla have echō eternal aiōnios life zōē. 17 For gar God theos did not ou send apostellō · ho his ho Son hyios into eis the ho world kosmos to hina condemn krinō the ho world kosmos, but alla so hina that the ho world kosmos might be saved sōzō through dia him autos. 18 The ho one who believes pisteuō in eis him autos is not ou condemned krinō, but de the ho one who does not believe pisteuō is condemned krinō already ēdē, because hoti he has not believed pisteuō in eis the ho name onoma of ho God’ s theos one monogenēs and only Son hyios. · ho 19 And de the ho basis for judging krisis is eimi this houtos, that hoti · ho light phōs has come erchomai into eis the ho world kosmos and kai people anthrōpos love agapaō · ho darkness skotos rather mallon than ē · ho · ho light phōs, because gar their autos deeds ergon are eimi evil ponēros. · ho 20 For gar everyone pas who ho practices prassō wickedness phaulos hates miseō the ho light phōs and kai does not ou come erchomai to pros the ho light phōs for fear that hina his autos deeds ergon will be exposed elenchō. · ho 21 But de the ho one who does poieō the ho truth alētheia comes erchomai to pros the ho light phōs, so hina that his autos deeds ergon may be clearly seen phaneroō, · ho that hoti they have been eimi done ergazomai in en God theos.”

22 After meta this houtos Jesus Iēsous and kai his autos disciples mathētēs went erchomai · ho · ho into eis the ho Judean Ioudaios countryside , and kai he was there ekei with meta them autos for a time diatribō and kai was baptizing baptizō. 23 Now de John Iōannēs also kai was eimi · ho baptizing baptizō at en Aenon Ainōn near engys · ho Salim, because hoti there were eimi many polys springs hydōr there ekei, and kai people kept coming paraginomai · kai to be baptized baptizō. 24 ( John Iōannēs had eimi not oupō yet been thrown ballō into eis · ho prison phylakē.) · ho

25 Now oun an argument zētēsis about peri ritual cleansing katharismos arose ginomai between meta some ek of ho John’ s Iōannēs disciples mathētēs and a certain Jew Ioudaios. 26 So kai they came erchomai to pros · ho John Iōannēs and kai said legō to him autos, “ Rabbi rhabbi, that man who hos was eimi with meta you sy on the far peran side of the ho Jordan Iordanēs, the one to whom hos you sy bore witness martyreō well ide, he houtos is baptizing baptizō, and kai everyone pas is going erchomai to pros him autos!” 27 John Iōannēs responded apokrinomai, · kai saying legō, “A man anthrōpos cannot ou dynamai receive lambanō anything oude heis unless ean mē it has been eimi given didōmi to him autos from ek · ho heaven ouranos. 28 You hymeis yourselves autos bear me egō witness martyreō that hoti I said legō, ‘ I egō am eimi not ou the ho Christ Christos,’ but alla rather , ‘ I am eimi the one sent apostellō ahead emprosthen of him ekeinos.’ 29 It is eimi the ho bridegroom nymphios who has echō the ho bride nymphē; but de the ho friend philos of the ho bridegroom nymphios, who ho stands histēmi by and kai listens akouō for him autos, rejoices greatly chara when dia he hears the ho bridegroom’ s nymphios voice phōnē. · ho Therefore oun this houtos · ho joy chara · ho of mine emos is now complete plēroō. 30 He ekeinos must dei increase auxanō, but de I egō must decrease elattoō.”

31 He ho who comes erchomai from above anōthen is eimi superior epanō to all pas. He ho who is eimi of ek the ho earth belongs eimi to ek the ho earth and kai speaks laleō in ek an ho earthly way . He ho who comes erchomai from ek · ho heaven ouranos is eimi superior epanō to all pas. 32 He bears witness to martyreō what hos he has seen horaō and kai heard akouō, yet kai no one oudeis accepts lambanō · ho his autos testimony martyria. 33 The ho one who has accepted lambanō his autos · ho testimony martyria has thereby acknowledged sphragizō that hoti · ho God theos is eimi truthful alēthēs. 34 For gar the one whom hos God theos has sent apostellō · ho speaks laleō the ho words rhēma of ho God theos, for gar God does didōmi not ou give didōmi the ho Spirit pneuma in ek a limited measure metron. 35 The ho Father patēr loves agapaō the ho Son hyios and kai has placed didōmi everything pas in en · ho his autos hands cheir. 36 The ho one who believes pisteuō in eis the ho Son hyios has echō eternal aiōnios life zōē; but de the ho one who disobeys apeitheō the ho Son hyios will not ou see horaō life zōē, but alla the ho wrath orgē of ho God theos remains menō on epi him autos.

Jesus Talks with Nicodemus

Now there was a man from the Pharisees, a leader of the Jews, whose name was Nicodemus. He came to Jesus[a] at night and told him, “Rabbi,[b] we know that you have come from God as a teacher, because no one can perform these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”

Jesus replied to him, “Truly, I tell you[c] emphatically, unless a person is born from above[d] he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus asked him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He can’t go back into his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, I tell you[e] emphatically, unless a person is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God.[f] What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Don’t be astonished that I told you, ‘All of you must be born from above.’[g] The wind[h] blows where it wants to. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. That’s the way it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus asked him, “How can that be?”

10 Jesus answered him, “You’re the teacher of Israel, and you can’t understand this? 11 Truly, I tell you[i] emphatically, we know what we’re talking about, and we testify about what we’ve seen. Yet you people[j] do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you people[k] about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?

13 “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Son of Man who is in heaven.[l] 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him would have eternal life.[m]

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his uniquely existing Son so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. 17 Because God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world would be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s uniquely existing Son. 19 And this is the basis for judgment: The light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light because their actions were evil. 20 Everyone who practices wickedness hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his actions may not be exposed.[n] 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may become evident that his actions have God’s approval.”[o]

John the Baptist Talks about Jesus

22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside. He spent some time there with them and began baptizing. 23 John was also baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People[p] kept coming and were being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Then a controversy about ritual purification sprang up between a certain Jew[q] and John’s disciples, 26 so they went to John and told him, “Rabbi,[r] the man who was with you on the other side[s] of the Jordan, the one about whom you testified—look, he’s baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”

27 John replied, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven. 28 You yourselves are my[t] witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,[u] but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 It is the bridegroom who gets the bride, yet the bridegroom’s friend, who merely[v] stands by and listens for him, is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That’s why this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must become more important, but I must become less important.”

The One who Comes from Above

31 The one who comes from above is superior to everything. The one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things.[w] The one who comes from heaven is superior to everything. 32 He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 The person who has accepted his testimony has acknowledged that God is truthful.[x] 34 The one whom God sent speaks the words of God, because God[y] does not give the Spirit in limited measure to him.[z] 35 The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands. 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

Footnotes

  1. John 3:2 Lit. him
  2. John 3:2 Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher
  3. John 3:3 The Gk. pronoun you is sing.
  4. John 3:3 Or born again
  5. John 3:5 The Gk. pronoun you is sing.
  6. John 3:5 Other mss. read of heaven
  7. John 3:7 Or born again
  8. John 3:8 The Gk. word can be translated both wind and spirit.
  9. John 3:11 The Gk. pronoun you is sing.
  10. John 3:11 The Gk. lacks people
  11. John 3:12 The Gk. lacks people
  12. John 3:13 Other mss. lack who is in heaven
  13. John 3:15 The quotation possibly concludes with this verse instead of with verse 21.
  14. John 3:20 Other mss. read as being evil
  15. John 3:21 Lit. actions are in God
  16. John 3:23 Lit. They
  17. John 3:25 Other mss. read between the Jews; i.e. between certain Jewish leaders
  18. John 3:26 Rabbi is Heb. for Master and/or Teacher
  19. John 3:26 I.e. the east side
  20. John 3:28 Other mss. lack my
  21. John 3:28 Or Christ
  22. John 3:29 The Gk. lacks merely
  23. John 3:31 Lit. of the earth
  24. John 3:33 Or true
  25. John 3:34 Lit. he
  26. John 3:34 The Gk. lacks to him