John 2:13-4:3

New King James Version

Jesus Cleanses the Temple^(A)

¹³^(B)Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴^(C)And He found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers ^[a]doing business. ¹⁵When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers’ money and overturned the tables. ¹⁶And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make ^(D)My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” ¹⁷Then His disciples remembered that it was written, ^(E)“Zeal for Your house ^[b]has eaten Me up.”

¹⁸So the Jews answered and said to Him, ^(F)“What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”

¹⁹Jesus answered and said to them, ^(G)“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

²⁰Then the Jews said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?”

²¹But He was speaking ^(H)of the temple of His body. ²²Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, ^(I)His disciples remembered that He had said this ^[c]to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

The Discerner of Hearts

²³Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the ^(J)signs which He did. ²⁴But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He ^(K)knew all men, ²⁵and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for ^(L)He knew what was in man.

The New Birth

3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ²^(M)This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for ^(N)no one can do these signs that You do unless ^(O)God is with him.”

³Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(P)unless one is born ^[d]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

⁴Nicodemus 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?”

⁵Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(Q)unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶That which is born of the flesh is ^(R)flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸^(S)The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

⁹Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ^(T)“How can these things be?”

¹⁰Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? ¹¹^(U)Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and ^(V)you do not receive Our witness. ¹²If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? ¹³^(W)No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man ^[e]who is in heaven. ¹⁴^(X)And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so ^(Y)must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever ^(Z)believes in Him should ^[f]not perish but ^(AA)have eternal life. ¹⁶^(AB)For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten ^(AC)Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. ¹⁷^(AD)For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸^(AE)“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the condemnation, ^(AF)that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For ^(AG)everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. ²¹But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been ^(AH)done in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

²²After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them ^(AI)and baptized. ²³Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near ^(AJ)Salim, because there was much water there. ^(AK)And they came and were baptized. ²⁴For ^(AL)John had not yet been thrown into prison.

²⁵Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. ²⁶And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, ^(AM)to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all ^(AN)are coming to Him!”

²⁷John answered and said, ^(AO)“A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^(AP)‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ^(AQ)‘I have been sent before Him.’ ²⁹^(AR)He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but ^(AS)the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. ³⁰^(AT)He must increase, but I must decrease. ³¹^(AU)He who comes from above ^(AV)is above all; ^(AW)he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. ^(AX)He who comes from heaven is above all. ³²And ^(AY)what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. ³³He who has received His testimony ^(AZ)has certified that God is true. ³⁴^(BA)For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit ^(BB)by measure. ³⁵^(BC)The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. ³⁶^(BD)He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the ^(BE)wrath of God abides on him.”

A Samaritan Woman Meets Her Messiah

4 Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and ^(BF)baptized more disciples than John ²(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), ³He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.