Book of Common Prayer

¹² Take heed, brethren, that there be in none of you an evil heart in unbelief, that he should depart from the living God; ¹³ but exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you grow hard-hearted through the deceitfulness of sin.

¹⁴ We are partakers of Christ if we keep sure until the end the first confidence, ¹⁵ as long as it is said: Today, if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as when you rebelled. ¹⁶ For some, when they heard, rebelled – though not everyone who came out of Egypt under Moses. ¹⁷ But with whom was he displeased for forty years? Was he not displeased with those who sinned, whose bodies were overthrown in the desert? ¹⁸ To whom did he swear that they would not enter into his rest, but to those who did not believe? ¹⁹ And we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

²³ When he was at Jerusalem, at Passover in the feast, many believed on his name when they saw the miracles that he did. ²⁴ But Jesus did not put himself in their hands, ²⁵ because he knew all men, and needed not that anyone should testify of man. For he knew what was in man.

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.