< John 3 >
1 Now there was one of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus--a ruler among the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus by night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher from God; for no one can do these miracles which you are doing, unless God is with him.
3 "In most solemn truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "that unless a man is born anew he cannot see the Kingdom of God."
4 "How is it possible," Nicodemus asked, "for a man to be born when he is old? Can he a second time enter his mother's womb and be born?"
5 "In most solemn truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "that unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.
6 Whatever has been born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever has been born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be astonished at my telling you, 'You must all be born anew.'
8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So is it with every one who has been born of the Spirit."
9 "How is all this possible?" asked Nicodemus.
10 "Are you," replied Jesus, "'the Teacher of Israel,' and yet do you not understand these things?
11 In most solemn truth I tell you that we speak what we know, and give testimony of that of which we were eye-witnesses, and yet you all reject our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and none of you believe me, how will you believe me if I tell you of things in Heaven?
13 There is no one who has gone up to Heaven, but there is One who has come down from Heaven, namely the Son of Man whose home is in Heaven.
14 And just as Moses lifted high the serpent in the Desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
15 in order that every one who trusts in Him may have the Life of the Ages." (aiōnios )
16 For so greatly did God love the world that He gave His only Son, that every one who trusts in Him may not perish but may have the Life of Ages. (aiōnios )
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 He who trusts in Him does not come up for judgement. He who does not trust has already received sentence, because he has not his trust resting on the name of God's only Son.
19 And this is the test by which men are judged--the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness more than they loved the Light, because their deeds were wicked.
20 For every wrongdoer hates the light, and does not come to the light, for fear his actions should be exposed and condemned.
21 But he who does what is honest and right comes to the light, in order that his actions may be plainly shown to have been done in God.
22 After this Jesus and His disciples went into Judaea; and there He made a stay in company with them and baptized.
23 And John too was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there were many pools of water there; and people came and received baptism.
24 (For John was not yet in prison.)
25 As the result, a discussion having arisen on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification,
26 they came to John and reported to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan and to whom you bore testimony is now baptizing, and great numbers of people are resorting to him."
27 "A man cannot obtain anything," replied John, "unless it has been granted to him from Heaven.
28 You yourselves can bear witness to my having said, 'I am not the Christ,' but 'I am His appointed forerunner.'
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; and the bridegroom's friend who stands by his side and listens to him, rejoices heartily on account of the bridegroom's happiness. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
30 He must grow greater, but I must grow less.
31 He who comes from above is above all. He whose origin is from the earth is not only himself from the earth, his teaching also is from the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.
32 What He has seen and heard, to that He bears witness; but His testimony no one receives.
33 Any man who has received His testimony has solemnly declared that God is true.
34 For He whom God has sent speaks God's words; for God does not give the Spirit with limitations."
35 The Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything to His hands.
36 He who believes in the Son has the Life of the Ages; he who disobeys the Son will not enter into Life, but God's anger remains upon him. (aiōnios )
