John 3:3-21
English Standard Version
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is (A)born (B)again[a] he cannot (C)see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born (D)of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 (E)That which is born of the flesh is (F)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.[b] 7 (G)Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You[c] must be born (H)again.’ 8 (I)The wind[d] blows (J)where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, (K)“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel (L)and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, (M)we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but (N)you[e] do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 (O)No one has (P)ascended into heaven except (Q)he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.[f] 14 And (R)as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man (S)be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes (T)in him (U)may have eternal life.[g]
For God So Loved the World
16 “For (V)God so loved (W)the world,[h] (X)that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not (Y)perish but have eternal life. 17 For (Z)God did not send his Son into the world (AA)to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 (AB)Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not (AC)believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 (AD)And this is the judgment: (AE)the light has come into the world, and (AF)people loved the darkness rather than the light because (AG)their works were evil. 20 (AH)For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, (AI)lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever (AJ)does what is true (AK)comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- John 3:3 Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7
- John 3:6 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
- John 3:7 The Greek for you is plural here
- John 3:8 The same Greek word means both wind and spirit
- John 3:11 The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12
- John 3:13 Some manuscripts add who is in heaven
- John 3:15 Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15
- John 3:16 Or For this is how God loved the world
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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