The New Birth

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named ^(A)Nicodemus, a ^(B)ruler of the Jews; ² this man came to ^[a]Jesus at night and said to Him, “^(C)Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these ^[b](D)signs that You do unless ^(E)God is with him.” ³ Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone ^(F)is born ^[c]again he cannot see ^(G)the kingdom of God.”

⁴ Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of ^(H)water and the Spirit, he cannot enter ^(I)the kingdom of God. ^6 (J)That which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born ^[d]again.’ ^8 (K)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”

Israel to Be Renewed for His Name’s Sake

²² “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “It is ^(A)not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. ²³ And I will ^(B)vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the ^(C)nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. ²⁴ For I will ^(D)take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land. ²⁵ Then I will ^(E)sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your ^(F)filthiness and from all your ^(G)idols. ²⁶ Moreover, I will give you a ^(H)new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the ^(I)heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. ²⁷ And I will ^(J)put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and ^[a]follow My ordinances. ²⁸ And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be ^(K)My people, and I will be your God.