¹⁴ In the temple^(A) he found people selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and he also found the money changers sitting there. ¹⁵ After making a whip out of cords,^(B) he drove everyone out of the temple with their sheep^(C) and oxen. He also poured out the money changers’ coins and overturned the tables. ¹⁶ He told those who were selling doves, “Get these things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s^(D) house^(E) into a marketplace!”^[a](F)

¹⁷ And his disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal^(G) for your house will consume^(H) me.^[b](I)

¹⁸ So the Jews replied to him, “What sign will you show us for doing these things?”

¹⁹ Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple,^[c](J) and I will raise it up in three days.”^(K)

²⁰ Therefore the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build,^[d] and will you raise it up in three days?” ^(L)

²¹ But he was speaking about the temple of his body.^{(M) 22} So when he was raised from the dead,^(N) his disciples remembered that he had said this,^(O) and they believed the Scripture^(P) and the statement Jesus had made.

²³ While he was in Jerusalem^(Q) during the Passover Festival,^(R) many believed in his name^(S) when they saw the signs he was doing. ²⁴ Jesus, however, would not entrust himself to them, since he knew them all ²⁵ and because he did not need anyone to testify about man; for he himself knew what was in man.^(T)

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees^(A) named Nicodemus,^(B) a ruler^(C) of the Jews. ² This man came to him at night and said, “Rabbi,^(D) we know that you are a teacher^(E) who has come from God,^(F) for no one could perform these signs you do unless God were with him.”^(G)

³ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again,^[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^(I)

⁴ “How can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born^(J) of water and the Spirit,^(K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh^(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit^(M) is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born^(N) again. ⁸ The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.^(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^(P)

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.