John 3

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees^(A) named Nicodemus,^(B) a ruler^(C) of the Jews. ² This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,^(D) we know that You have come from God^(E) as a teacher,^(F) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”^(G)

³ Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,^[a](H) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^(I)

⁴ “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born^(J) of water and the Spirit,^[b](K) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh^(L) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit^(M) is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you^[c] must be born^(N) again. ⁸ The wind^[d] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.^(O) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^(P)

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[e] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “I assure you:^(Q) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you^[f] do not accept Our testimony.^{[g] 12} If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven? ¹³ No one has ascended^(R) into heaven^(S) except the One who descended from heaven^(T)—the Son of Man.^{[h](U) 14} Just as Moses^(V) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(W) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in Him will^[i] have eternal life.^(X)

¹⁶ “For God loved^(Y) the world in this way:^[j] He gave His One and Only^(Z) Son,^(AA) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.^{(AB) 17} For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn^(AC) the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,^(AD) because he has not believed in the name^(AE) of the One and Only Son^(AF) of God.

¹⁹ “This, then, is the judgment: The light^(AG) has come into the world,^(AH) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who practices wicked things hates^(AI) the light and avoids it,^[k] so that his deeds^(AJ) may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[l] the truth comes to the light, so that his works^(AK) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”^[m]

Jesus and John the Baptist

²² After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized. ²³ John^(AL) also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized, ²⁴ since John had not yet been thrown into prison.^(AM)

²⁵ Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples^(AN) and a Jew^[n] about purification.^{(AO) 26} So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,^(AP) the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,^(AQ) is baptizing—and everyone is flocking to Him.”^(AR)

²⁷ John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven. ²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,^(AS) but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’^{(AT) 29} He who has the bride^(AU) is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly^[o] at the groom’s voice. So this joy^(AV) of mine is complete. ³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The One from Heaven

³¹ The One who comes from above^(AW) is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.^[p] The One who comes from heaven is above all.^{(AX) 32} He testifies^(AY) to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. ³³ The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.^{(AZ) 34} For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He^[q] gives the Spirit^(BA) without measure. ³⁵ The Father loves the Son^(BB) and has given all things into His hands.^{(BC) 36} The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.^(BD)