John 3

1 Now there was a man from the Pharisees, Nicodemus his name, a leader of the Jews. 2 This man came to him at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I tell you, unless someone is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” [a]

4 Nicodemus says to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I tell you, unless someone is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. † 6 What has been born from the flesh is flesh, and what has been born from the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it wants, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who has been born from the Spirit.” [c]

9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can these things happen?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things? 11 Amen, amen, I tell you that we speak what we know and we testify to what we have seen, and you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I told you the earthly things and you do not trust, how will you trust if I tell you the heavenly things? 13 And no one has gone up into heaven except the one who came down out of heaven, the Son of Man. [d]

14 “And just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [e] † 15 so that everyone who trusts in him may have everlasting life. [f] 16 For God so loved the world that he gave the only Son, so that everyone who trusts in him would not perish but have everlasting life. [g] 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. 18 The one who trusts in him is not judged; but the one who does not trust has been judged already, because he has not trusted in the name of the only Son of God.

19 “And this is the judgment: that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. 20 For everyone who practices worthless things hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works may not be exposed; [h] 21 but the one who does the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be revealed as having been worked in God.” [i]

22 After these things Jesus and his disciples came into the Judean land, and there he spent time with them and was immersing. [j] 23 And John also was immersing in Aenon near Salim, because there were many waters there, and people were coming and being immersed; 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 So a dispute arose from John’s disciples with a Jew about cleansing. [k] 26 And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified — look, this man is immersing, and all are coming to him.” 27 John answered and said, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves testify for me that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of that one.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete.

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is from the earth and speaks from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What he has seen and heard, to this he testifies, and no one receives his testimony. 33 The one who has received his testimony has set his seal that God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit by measure. [l] 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 The one who trusts in the Son has everlasting life; but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. [m]