John 3
New International Reader's Version
Jesus Teaches Nicodemus
3 There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren’t, you couldn’t do the signs you are doing.”
3 Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom unless they are born again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “They can’t go back inside their mother! They can’t be born a second time!”
5 Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom unless they are born with water and the Holy Spirit. 6 People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised when I say, ‘You must all be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants to. You hear the sound it makes. But you can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going. It is the same with everyone who is born with the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus. “Don’t you understand these things? 11 What I’m about to tell you is true. We speak about what we know. We are witnesses about what we have seen. But still you people do not accept what we say. 12 I have spoken to you about earthly things, and you do not believe. So how will you believe if I speak about heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven. He is the Son of Man. 14 Moses lifted up the snake in the desert. In the same way, the Son of Man must also be lifted up. 15 Then everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him. 18 Anyone who believes in him is not judged. But anyone who does not believe is judged already. They have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 Here is the judgment. Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light. They loved darkness because what they did was evil. 20 Everyone who does evil deeds hates the light. They will not come into the light. They are afraid that what they do will be seen. 21 But anyone who lives by the truth comes into the light. They live by the truth with God’s help. They come into the light so that it will be easy to see their good deeds.
John the Baptist Is a Witness About Jesus
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the countryside of Judea. There he spent some time with them. And he baptized people there. 23 John was also baptizing. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was plenty of water. People were coming and being baptized. 24 This was before John was put in prison. 25 Some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew began to argue. They argued about special washings to make people “clean.” 26 They came to John and here is what they said to him. “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing people. He is the one you told us about. Everyone is going to him.”
27 John replied, “A person can receive only what God gives them from heaven. 28 You yourselves are witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah. I was sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the groom. The friend who helps the groom waits and listens for him. He is full of joy when he hears the groom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become more important. I must become less important.
31 “The one who comes from above is above everything. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks like someone from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above everything. 32 He is a witness to what he has seen and heard. But no one accepts what he says. 33 Anyone who has accepted it has said, ‘Yes. God is truthful.’ 34 The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words. That’s because God gives the Holy Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has put everything into his hands. 36 Anyone who believes in the Son has eternal life. Anyone who does not believe in the Son will not have life. God’s anger remains on them.”
John 3
New American Standard Bible
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.”
9 Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “You are (L)the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, (M)we speak of what we know and (N)testify of what we have seen, and (O)you people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 (P)No one has ascended into heaven, except (Q)He who descended from heaven: (R)the Son of Man. 14 And just as (S)Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must (T)the Son of Man (U)be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who [e]believes will (V)have eternal life in Him.
16 “For God so (W)loved the world, that He (X)gave His (Y)only Son, so that everyone who (Z)believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God (AA)did not send the Son into the world (AB)to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 (AC)The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of (AD)the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that (AE)the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for (AF)their deeds were evil. 20 (AG)For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who (AH)practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed [f]as having been performed in God.”
John the Baptist’s Last Testimony
22 After these things Jesus and His (AI)disciples came into the land of Judea; and there He was spending time with them and (AJ)baptizing. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and being baptized— 24 for (AK)John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then a matter of dispute developed on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about [g](AL)purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “(AM)Rabbi, He who was with you (AN)beyond the Jordan, to whom you (AO)have testified—behold, He is baptizing and all the people are coming to Him.” 27 John replied, “(AP)A person can receive not even one thing unless it (AQ)has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves [h]are my witnesses that I said, ‘(AR)I am not the [i]Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is (AS)the groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this (AT)joy of mine has been made full. 30 He must [j]increase, but I must [k]decrease.
31 “(AU)He who comes from above is above all; (AV)the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. (AW)He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and heard, of this He (AX)testifies; and (AY)no one accepts His testimony. 33 The one who has accepted His testimony (AZ)has certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God (BA)sent speaks the words of God; (BB)for He does not give the Spirit [l]sparingly. 35 (BC)The Father loves the Son and (BD)has entrusted all things to His hand. 36 The one who (BE)believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who (BF)does not [m]obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
Footnotes
- John 3:2 Lit Him
- John 3:2 I.e., confirming miracles
- John 3:3 Or from above
- John 3:7 Or from above
- John 3:15 Or believes in Him will have eternal life
- John 3:21 Lit that they have been
- John 3:25 I.e., ceremonial washing
- John 3:28 Lit testify for me
- John 3:28 I.e., Messiah
- John 3:30 Or become greater
- John 3:30 Or become less important
- John 3:34 Lit from measure
- John 3:36 I.e., in belief
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