John 3
New Matthew Bible
The conversation of Christ with Nicodemus. The teaching and baptism of John, and what witness he bears of Christ.
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God. For no man could do such miracles as you do unless God were with him.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly truly I say to you, unless a man be born anew, 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 into his mother’s womb and be born again?
5 Jesus answered, Truly truly I say to you, unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born anew. 8 The wind blows where it will, and you hear its sound, but cannot tell from whence it comes and where it goes. That is how it is with everyone that is born of the Spirit.
9 And Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said to him, Are you a teacher in Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Truly truly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you people do not receive our witness. 12 If when I tell you all earthly things, you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man ascends up to heaven but he who came down from heaven; that is to say, the Son of man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15 so that no one who believes in him will perish, but will have eternal life.
16 For God so loves the world that he has given his only Son, so that none who believe in him should perish, but should have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world through him could be saved. 18 Whoever believes on him shall not be condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he does not believe in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But whoever does truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be known, that they are wrought in God.
22 After these things, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and there he spent time with them and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there, and people came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been cast into prison.
25 And there arose a question between John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, of whom you bear witness, behold, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing at all unless it is given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are witnesses that I said I am not the Christ, but have been sent before him. 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and hears him, rejoices greatly to hear the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this my joy is fulfilled. 30 He must increase in renown, and I must decrease.
31 He who comes from on high is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all, 32 and what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; but no one receives his testimony. 33 However, the person who has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. For God does not give the Spirit by measure (to him). 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36 The person who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and the person who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 3
Authorized (King James) Version
3 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? 10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
22 After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For John was not yet cast into prison.
25 Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. 28 Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all. 32 And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony. 33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.