John 3
Christian Standard Bible
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.
10 “Are you a teacher[b] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. 11 “Truly I tell you,(Q) we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you do not accept our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended(R) into heaven(S) except the one who descended from heaven(T) —the Son of Man.[c](U)
14 “Just as Moses(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may[d] have eternal life.(X) 16 For God loved(Y) the world in this way:[e] He gave[f] his one and only(Z) Son,(AA) so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.(AB) 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn(AC) the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,(AD) because he has not believed in the name(AE) of the one and only Son(AF) of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light(AG) has come into the world,(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates(AI) the light and avoids it,[g] so that his deeds(AJ) may not be exposed. 21 But anyone who lives by[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent time with them and baptized.
23 John(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.(AM)
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples(AN) and a Jew[i] about purification.(AO) 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,(AP) the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.”(AR)
27 John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’(AT) 29 He who has the bride(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly[j] at the groom’s voice. So this joy(AV) of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The one who comes from above(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.[k] The one who comes from heaven is above all.(AX) 32 He testifies(AY) to what he has seen and heard, and yet no one accepts his testimony. 33 The one who has accepted his testimony has affirmed that God is true.(AZ) 34 For the one whom God sent speaks God’s words, since he[l] gives the Spirit(BA) without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son(BB) and has given all things into his hands.(BC) 36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son[m] will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.(BD)
Footnotes
- 3:3 Or from above, also in v. 7
- 3:10 Or the teacher
- 3:13 Other mss add who is in heaven
- 3:15 Other mss add not perish, but
- 3:16 Or this much
- 3:16 Or For in this way God loved the world, and so he gave, or For God so loved the world that he gave
- 3:20 Lit and does not come to the light
- 3:21 Lit who does
- 3:25 Other mss read and the Jews
- 3:29 Lit with joy rejoices
- 3:31 Or of earthly things
- 3:34 Other mss read since God
- 3:36 Or refuses to believe in the Son, or disobeys the Son
John 3
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Nicodemus Visits Jesus
3 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with that person.”(A) 3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”[b](B) 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.(C) 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You[c] must be born from above.’[d] 8 The wind[e] blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”(D) 9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?”(E) 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen, yet you[f] do not receive our testimony.(F) 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g](G) 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,(H) 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.[h](I)
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.(J)
17 “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved through him.(K) 18 Those who believe in him are not condemned, but those who do not believe are condemned already because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God.(L) 19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.(M) 20 For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed.(N) 21 But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”[i](O)
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there, and people kept coming and were being baptized. 24 (John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison.)(P)
25 Now a discussion about purification arose between John’s disciples and a Jew.[j] 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”(Q) 27 John answered, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven.(R) 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,[k] but I have been sent ahead of him.’(S) 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.(T) 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”[l]
The One Who Comes from Heaven
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all.(U) 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony.(V) 33 Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified[m] this, that God is true.(W) 34 He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.(X) 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands.(Y) 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life but must endure God’s wrath.(Z)
Footnotes
- 3.2 Gk him
- 3.3 Or born anew
- 3.7 The Greek word for you here is plural
- 3.7 Or born anew
- 3.8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
- 3.11 The Greek word for you here and in 3.12 is plural
- 3.13 Other ancient authorities add who is in heaven
- 3.15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with 3.15
- 3.21 Some interpreters hold that the quotation concludes with 3.15
- 3.25 Other ancient authorities read the Jews
- 3.28 Or the Christ
- 3.30 Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through 3.36
- 3.33 Gk set a seal to
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New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.