The New Birth

3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ^2 (A)This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for ^(B)no one can do these signs that You do unless ^(C)God is with him.”

³ Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(D)unless one is born ^[a]again, 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 a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(E)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 ^(F)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 (G)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.”

⁹ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ^(H)“How can these things be?”

¹⁰ Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ^11 (I)Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and ^(J)you do not receive Our witness. ¹² If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ^13 (K)No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man ^[b]who is in heaven. ^14 (L)And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so ^(M)must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever ^(N)believes in Him should ^[c]not perish but ^(O)have eternal life. ^16 (P)For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten ^(Q)Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ^17 (R)For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

^18 (S)“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation, ^(T)that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For ^(U)everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹ But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been ^(V)done in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

²² After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them ^(W)and baptized. ²³ Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near ^(X)Salim, because there was much water there. ^(Y)And they came and were baptized. ²⁴ For ^(Z)John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵ Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. ²⁶ And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, ^(AA)to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all ^(AB)are coming to Him!”

²⁷ John answered and said, ^(AC)“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^(AD)‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ^(AE)‘I have been sent before Him.’ ^29 (AF)He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but ^(AG)the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. ^30 (AH)He must increase, but I must decrease. ^31 (AI)He who comes from above ^(AJ)is above all; ^(AK)he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. ^(AL)He who comes from heaven is above all. ³² And ^(AM)what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. ³³ He who has received His testimony ^(AN)has certified that God is true. ^34 (AO)For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit ^(AP)by measure. ^35 (AQ)The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. ^36 (AR)He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the ^(AS)wrath of God abides on him.”

Jesus Warns and Comforts His Disciples

16 “These things I have spoken to you, that you ^(A)should not be made to stumble. ^2 (B)They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming ^(C)that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. ³ And ^(D)these things they will do ^[a]to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. ⁴ But these things I have told you, that when ^[b]the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them.

“And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit

⁵ “But now I ^(E)go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ ⁶ But because I have said these things to you, ^(F)sorrow has filled your heart. ⁷ Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but ^(G)if I depart, I will send Him to you. ⁸ And when He has ^(H)come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ^9 (I)of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ^10 (J)of righteousness, ^(K)because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; ^11 (L)of judgment, because ^(M)the ruler of this world is judged.

¹² “I still have many things to say to you, ^(N)but you cannot bear them now. ¹³ However, when He, ^(O)the Spirit of truth, has come, ^(P)He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. ^14 (Q)He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. ^15 (R)All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He ^[c]will take of Mine and declare it to you.

Sorrow Will Turn to Joy

¹⁶ “A ^(S)little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me, ^(T)because I go to the Father.”

¹⁷ Then some of His disciples said among themselves, “What is this that He says to us, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’; and, ‘because I go to the Father’?” ¹⁸ They said therefore, “What is this that He says, ‘A little while’? We do not ^[d]know what He is saying.”

¹⁹ Now Jesus knew that they desired to ask Him, and He said to them, “Are you inquiring among yourselves about what I said, ‘A little while, and you will not see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me’? ²⁰ Most assuredly, I say to you that you will weep and ^(U)lament, but the world will rejoice; and you will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into ^(V)joy. ^21 (W)A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and ^(X)your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

²³ “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. ^(Y)Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, ^(Z)that your joy may be ^(AA)full.

Jesus Christ Has Overcome the World

²⁵ “These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you ^(AB)plainly about the Father. ²⁶ In that day you will ask in My name, and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; ^27 (AC)for the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and ^(AD)have believed that I came forth from God. ^28 (AE)I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father.”

²⁹ His disciples said to Him, “See, now You are speaking plainly, and using no figure of speech! ³⁰ Now we are sure that ^(AF)You know all things, and have no need that anyone should question You. By this ^(AG)we believe that You came forth from God.”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? ^32 (AH)Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, ^(AI)each to his ^[e]own, and will leave Me alone. And ^(AJ)yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. ³³ These things I have spoken to you, that ^(AK)in Me you may have peace. ^(AL)In the world you ^[f]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, ^(AM)I have overcome the world.”

Jesus Prays for Himself

17 Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, ^(AN)the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, ^2 (AO)as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He ^[g]should give eternal life to as many ^(AP)as You have given Him. ³ And ^(AQ)this is eternal life, that they may know You, ^(AR)the only true God, and Jesus Christ ^(AS)whom You have sent. ^4 (AT)I have glorified You on the earth. ^(AU)I have finished the work ^(AV)which You have given Me to do. ⁵ And now, O Father, glorify Me together ^[h]with Yourself, with the glory ^(AW)which I had with You before the world was.

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

^6 (AX)“I have ^[i]manifested Your name to the men ^(AY)whom You have given Me out of the world. ^(AZ)They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. ⁷ Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. ⁸ For I have given to them the words ^(BA)which You have given Me; and they have received them, ^(BB)and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that ^(BC)You sent Me.

⁹ “I pray for them. ^(BD)I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. ¹⁰ And all Mine are Yours, and ^(BE)Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. ^11 (BF)Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, ^(BG)keep^[j] through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one ^(BH)as We are. ¹² While I was with them ^[k]in the world, ^(BI)I kept them in ^[l]Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and ^(BJ)none of them is ^[m]lost ^(BK)except the son of ^[n]perdition, ^(BL)that the Scripture might be fulfilled. ¹³ But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. ¹⁴ I have given them Your word; ^(BM)and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, ^(BN)just as I am not of the world. ¹⁵ I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but ^(BO)that You should keep them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. ^17 (BP)Sanctify^[o] them by Your truth. ^(BQ)Your word is truth. ^18 (BR)As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ And ^(BS)for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.

Jesus Prays for All Believers

²⁰ “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who ^[p]will believe in Me through their word; ^21 (BT)that they all may be one, as ^(BU)You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. ²² And the ^(BV)glory which You gave Me I have given them, ^(BW)that they may be one just as We are one: ²³ I in them, and You in Me; ^(BX)that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

^24 (BY)“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; ^(BZ)for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. ²⁵ O righteous Father! ^(CA)The world has not known You, but ^(CB)I have known You; and ^(CC)these have known that You sent Me. ^26 (CD)And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love ^(CE)with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”