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
John 3
New King James Version
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.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
