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John 3:1-21
English Standard Version

You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named (A)Nicodemus, (B)a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus[a] (C)by night and said to him, (D)“Rabbi, (E)we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do (F)unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is (G)born (H)again[b] he cannot (I)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, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born (J)of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 (K)That which is born of the flesh is (L)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[c] 7 (M)Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[d] must be born (N)again.’ 8 (O)The wind[e] blows (P)where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, (Q)“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel (R)and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, (S)we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but (T)you[f] do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 (U)No one has (V)ascended into heaven except (W)he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[g] 14 And (X)as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man (Y)be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes (Z)in him (AA)may have eternal life.[h]

For God So Loved the World

16 “For (AB)God so loved (AC)the world,[i] (AD)that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not (AE)perish but have eternal life. 17 For (AF)God did not send his Son into the world (AG)to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 (AH)Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (AI)believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 (AJ)And this is the judgment: (AK)the light has come into the world, and (AL)people loved the darkness rather than the light because (AM)their works were evil. 20 (AN)For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, (AO)lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever (AP)does what is true (AQ)comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

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Footnotes

  1. John 3:2 Greek him
  2. John 3:3 Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7
  3. John 3:6 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
  4. John 3:7 The Greek for you is plural here
  5. John 3:8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
  6. John 3:11 The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12
  7. John 3:13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven
  8. John 3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15
  9. John 3:16 Or For this is how God loved the world
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John 3:1-21
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.”

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Footnotes

  1. 3:3 Or from above, also in v. 7
  2. 3:10 Or the teacher
  3. 3:13 Other mss add who is in heaven
  4. 3:15 Other mss add not perish, but
  5. 3:16 Or this much
  6. 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
  7. 3:20 Lit and does not come to the light
  8. 3:21 Lit who does
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English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.