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

^18 (A)Of His own will He brought us forth by the ^(B)word of truth, ^(C)that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

⁹ Whoever has been ^(A)born of God does not sin, for ^(B)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

^23 (A)having been born again, not of ^[a]corruptible seed but ^[b]incorruptible, ^(B)through the word of God which lives and abides ^[c]forever,

A Heavenly Inheritance

^3 (A)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who ^(B)according to His abundant mercy ^(C)has begotten us again to a living hope ^(D)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(A)unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is ^(B)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ^8 (C)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[a]when He appears, we may have ^(A)confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^29 (B)If you know that He is righteous, you know that ^(C)everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

⁴ For ^(A)whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that ^(B)has overcome the world—^[a]our faith.

^5 (A)not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through ^(B)the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,