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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 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