⁹ “How can this be?”^(A) Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰ “You are Israel’s teacher,”^(B) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹ Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(C) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^{(D) 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^(E) except the one who came from heaven^(F)—the Son of Man.^{[a](G) 14} Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(H) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^{[b](I) 15} that everyone who believes^(J) may have eternal life in him.”^[c](K)

John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah

¹⁹ Now this was John’s^(A) testimony when the Jewish leaders^[a](B) in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”^(C)

²¹ They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”^(D)

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”^(E)

He answered, “No.”

²² Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³ John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness,^(F) ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^[b](G)

²⁴ Now the Pharisees who had been sent ²⁵ questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ “I baptize with^[c] water,”^(H) John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. ²⁷ He is the one who comes after me,^(I) the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”^(J)

²⁸ This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan,^(K) where John was baptizing.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts^(A)

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(B) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^{(C) 14} In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,^(D) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.^{(E) 15} So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house^(F) into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”^[a](G)

¹⁸ The Jews^(H) then responded to him, “What sign^(I) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”^(J)

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(K)

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^{(L) 22} After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(M) Then they believed the scripture^(N) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(O) many people saw the signs^(P) he was performing and believed^(Q) in his name.^{[b] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(R) for he knew what was in each person.^(S)

The Bronze Snake

⁴ They traveled from Mount Hor^(A) along the route to the Red Sea,^[a](B) to go around Edom.^(C) But the people grew impatient on the way;^{(D) 5} they spoke against God^(E) and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt^(F) to die in the wilderness?^(G) There is no bread! There is no water!^(H) And we detest this miserable food!”^(I)

⁶ Then the Lord sent venomous snakes^(J) among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.^{(K) 7} The people came to Moses^(L) and said, “We sinned^(M) when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord^(N) will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed^(O) for the people.

⁸ The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole;^(P) anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” ⁹ So Moses made a bronze snake^(Q) and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.^(R)

¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”^(A)

¹³ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord^(A) will be saved.”^[a](B)