Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a man named Nicodemus who was a Pharisee and a Jewish leader. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we know that God has sent you to teach us. You could not work these miracles, unless God were with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you for certain that you must be born from above before you can see God's kingdom!”
4 Nicodemus asked, “How can a grown man ever be born a second time?”
5 Jesus answered:
I tell you for certain that before you can get into God's kingdom, you must be born not only by water, but by the Spirit. 6 Humans give life to their children. Yet only God's Spirit can change you into a child of God. 7 Don't be surprised when I say that you must be born from above. 8 Only God's Spirit gives new life. The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to. You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going.
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 Jesus replied:
How can you be a teacher of Israel and not know these things? 11 I tell you for certain we know what we are talking about because we have seen it ourselves. But none of you will accept what we say. 12 If you don't believe when I talk to you about things on earth, how can you possibly believe if I talk to you about things in heaven?
13 No one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from there. 14 And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as the metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert. 15 Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.
16 God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. 17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! 18 No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.
19 The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. 20 People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. 21 But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 Later, Jesus and his disciples went to Judea, where he stayed with them for a while and was baptizing people.
23-24 John had not yet been put in jail. He was at Aenon near Salim, where there was a lot of water, and people were coming there for John to baptize them.
25 John's followers got into an argument with a Jewish man about a ceremony of washing. 26 They went to John and said, “Rabbi, you spoke about a man when you were with him east of the Jordan. He is now baptizing people, and everyone is going to him.”
27 John replied:
No one can do anything unless God in heaven allows it. 28 You surely remember how I told you that I am not the Messiah. I am only the one sent ahead of him.
29 At a wedding the groom is the one who gets married. The best man is glad just to be there and to hear the groom's voice. That's why I am so glad. 30 Jesus must become more important, while I become less important.
The One Who Comes from Heaven
31 God's Son comes from heaven and is above all others. Everyone who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all others. 32 He speaks about what he has seen and heard, and yet no one believes him. 33 But everyone who does believe him has shown that God is truthful. 34 The Son was sent to speak God's message, and he has been given the full power of God's Spirit.
35 The Father loves the Son and has given him everything. 36 Everyone who has faith in the Son has eternal life. But no one who rejects him will ever share in that life, and God will be angry with them forever.
1 There was nowe a man of the Pharises, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Iewes. 2 This man came to Iesus by night, and sayd vnto him, Rabbi, we knowe ye thou art a teacher come from God: for no man could do these miracles that thou doest, except God were with him. 3 Iesus answered, and said vnto him, Verely, verely I say vnto thee, except a man be borne againe, he can not see the kingdome of God. 4 Nicodemus sayde vnto him, Howe can a man be borne which is olde? can he enter into his mothers wombe againe, and be borne? 5 Iesus answered, Verely, verely I say vnto thee, except that a man be borne of water and of the Spirite, hee can not enter into the kingdome of God. 6 That which is borne of the flesh, is flesh: and that that is borne of the Spirit, is spirit. 7 Marueile not that I said to thee, Yee must be borne againe. 8 The winde bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it commeth, and whither it goeth: so is euery man that is borne of the Spirit. 9 Nicodemus answered, and said vnto him, Howe can these things be? 10 Iesus answered, and saide vnto him, Art thou a teacher of Israel, and knowest not these things? 11 Verely, verely I say vnto thee, wee speake that we know, and testifie that we haue seene: but yee receiue not our witnesse. 12 If when I tel you earthly things, ye beleeue not, howe should yee beleeue, if I shall tel you of heauenly things? 13 For no man ascendeth vp to heauen, but he that hath descended from heauen, that Sonne of man which is in heauen. 14 And as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernesse, so must that Sonne of man be lift vp, 15 That whosoeuer beleeueth in him, shoulde not perish, but haue eternall life. 16 For God so loued the worlde, that hee hath giuen his onely begotten Sonne, that whosoeuer beleeueth in him, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Sonne into the world, that he should condemne the world, but that the world through him might be saued. 18 Hee that beleeueth in him, is not condemned: but hee that beleeueth not, is condemned already, because he hath not beleeued in the Name of that onely begotten Sonne of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that that light came into the worlde, and men loued darknesse rather then that light, because their deedes were euill. 20 For euery man that euill doeth, hateth the light, neither commeth to light, least his deedes should be reprooued. 21 But he that doeth trueth, commeth to the light, that his deedes might bee made manifest, that they are wrought according to God. 22 After these things, came Iesus and his disciples into the lande of Iudea, and there taried with them, and baptized. 23 And Iohn also baptized in Enon besides Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. 24 For Iohn was not yet cast into prison. 25 Then there arose a question betweene Iohns disciples and the Iewes, about purifying. 26 And they came vnto Iohn, and saide vnto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Iorden, to whom thou barest witnesse, behold, he baptizeth, and all men come to him. 27 Iohn answered, and saide, A man can receiue nothing, except it be giuen him from heauen. 28 Yee your selues are my witnesses, that I sayde, I am not that Christ, but that I am sent before him. 29 He that hath the bride, is the bridegrome: but the friend of the bridegrome which standeth and heareth him, reioyceth greatly, because of the bridegromes voyce. This my ioy therefore is fulfilled. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease. 31 Hee that is come from an hie, is aboue all: he that is of the earth, is of the earth, and speaketh of the earth: hee that is come from heauen, is aboue all. 32 And what hee hath seene and heard, that he testifieth: but no man receiueth his testimonie. 33 He that hath receiued his testimonie, hath sealed that God is true. 34 For hee whome God hath sent, speaketh the woordes of God: for God giueth him not the Spirit by measure. 35 The Father loueth the Sonne, and hath giuen all things into his hande. 36 Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne, hath euerlasting life, and hee that obeyeth not the Sonne, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.