John 3
New Matthew Bible
The conversation of Christ with Nicodemus. The teaching and baptism of John, and what witness he bears of Christ.
3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler among the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God. For no man could do such miracles as you do unless God were with him.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly truly I say to you, unless a man be born anew, 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 into his mother’s womb and be born again?
5 Jesus answered, Truly truly I say to you, unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said to you, you must be born anew. 8 The wind blows where it will, and you hear its sound, but cannot tell from whence it comes and where it goes. That is how it is with everyone that is born of the Spirit.
9 And Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said to him, Are you a teacher in Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Truly truly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you people do not receive our witness. 12 If when I tell you all earthly things, you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you of heavenly things? 13 And no man ascends up to heaven but he who came down from heaven; that is to say, the Son of man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, 15 so that no one who believes in him will perish, but will have eternal life.
16 For God so loves the world that he has given his only Son, so that none who believe in him should perish, but should have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world through him could be saved. 18 Whoever believes on him shall not be condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he does not believe in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But whoever does truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be known, that they are wrought in God.
22 After these things, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and there he spent time with them and baptized. 23 And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there, and people came and were baptized. 24 For John had not yet been cast into prison.
25 And there arose a question between John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying. 26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, of whom you bear witness, behold, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.
27 John answered and said, A man can receive nothing at all unless it is given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves are witnesses that I said I am not the Christ, but have been sent before him. 29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and hears him, rejoices greatly to hear the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this my joy is fulfilled. 30 He must increase in renown, and I must decrease.
31 He who comes from on high is above all. He who is of the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all, 32 and what he has seen and heard, that he testifies; but no one receives his testimony. 33 However, the person who has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true. 34 For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. For God does not give the Spirit by measure (to him). 35 The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36 The person who believes on the Son has everlasting life, and the person who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
John 3
GOD’S WORD Translation
A Conversation with Nicodemus
3 Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a member of the Jewish council. 2 He came to Jesus one night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you as a teacher. No one can perform the miracles you perform unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus replied to Nicodemus, “I can guarantee this truth: No one can see God’s kingdom without being born from above.” [a]
4 Nicodemus asked him, “How can anyone be born when he’s an old man? He can’t go back inside his mother a second time to be born, can he?”
5 Jesus answered Nicodemus, “I can guarantee this truth: No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh and blood give birth to flesh and blood, but the Spirit gives birth to things that are spiritual. 7 Don’t be surprised when I tell you that all of you must be born from above. 8 The wind [b] blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where the wind comes from or where it’s going. That’s the way it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus replied, “How can that be?”
10 Jesus told Nicodemus, “You’re a well-known teacher of Israel. Can’t you understand this? 11 I can guarantee this truth: We know what we’re talking about, and we confirm what we’ve seen. Yet, you don’t accept our message. 12 If you don’t believe me when I tell you about things on earth, how will you believe me when I tell you about things in heaven? 13 No one has gone to heaven except the Son of Man, who came from heaven.
14 “As Moses lifted up the snake ⌞on a pole⌟ in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up. 15 Then everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.”
16 God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world. 18 Those who believe in him won’t be condemned. But those who don’t believe are already condemned because they don’t believe in God’s only Son.
19 This is why people are condemned: The light came into the world. Yet, people loved the dark rather than the light because their actions were evil. 20 People who do what is wrong hate the light and don’t come to the light. They don’t want their actions to be exposed. 21 But people who do what is true come to the light so that the things they do for God may be clearly seen.
John the Baptizer Talks about Christ
22 Later, Jesus and his disciples went to the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them and baptized people. 23 John was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim. Water was plentiful there. (People came to John to be baptized, 24 since John had not yet been put in prison.)
25 Some of John’s disciples had an argument with a Jew about purification ceremonies. 26 So they went to John and asked him, “Rabbi, do you remember the man you spoke so favorably about when he was with you on the other side of the Jordan River? Well, he’s baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”
27 John answered, “People can’t receive anything unless it has been given to them from heaven. 28 You are witnesses that I said, ‘I’m not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’
29 “The groom is the person to whom the bride belongs. The best man, who stands and listens to him, is overjoyed when the groom speaks. This is the joy that I feel. 30 He must increase in importance, while I must decrease in importance.
31 “The person who comes from above is superior to everyone. I, a person from the earth, know nothing but what is on earth, and that’s all I can talk about. The person who comes from heaven is superior to everyone 32 and tells what he has seen and heard. Yet, no one accepts what he says. 33 I have accepted what that person said, and I have affirmed that God is truthful. 34 The man whom God has sent speaks God’s message. After all, God gives him the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, he will see God’s constant anger.”
Copyright © 2016 by Ruth Magnusson (Davis). Includes emendations to February 2022. All rights reserved.
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