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.
Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus answered, “I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again.”
4 “How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”
5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again. 8 The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 Jesus answered, “You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this? 11 I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message. 12 You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven? 13 And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven.”
14 As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son. 19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. 20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up. 21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.
Jesus and John
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized. 23 John also was baptizing in Aenon, not far from Salim, because there was plenty of water in that place. People were going to him, and he was baptizing them. ( 24 This was before John had been put in prison.)
25 Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew about the matter of ritual washing. 26 So they went to John and told him, “Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!”
27 John answered, “No one can have anything unless God gives it. 28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete. 30 He must become more important while I become less important.”
He Who Comes from Heaven
31 He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message. 33 But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful. 34 The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit. 35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.