1 N ow there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews,

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

2 W ho came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles—and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.

This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3 J esus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

4 N icodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb again and be born?

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 J esus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and '> even] the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

6 W hat is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 M arvel not at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).

Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

8 T he wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

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.”

9 N icodemus answered by asking, How can all this be possible?

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”

10 J esus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things?

Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

11 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, We speak only of what we know; we have actually seen what we are testifying to. And still you do not receive our testimony.

Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

12 I f I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on Me) if I tell you of heavenly things?

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

13 A nd yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven—the Son of Man, Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven.

No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

14 A nd just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15 I n order that everyone who believes in Him may not perish, but have eternal life and live forever!

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

16 F or God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He gave up His only begotten ( unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

17 F or God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 H e who believes in Him is not judged; but he who does not believe (cleave to, rely on, trust in Him) is judged already because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

“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.

19 T he judgment (indictment, the test by which men are judged, the ground for the sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the world, and people have loved the darkness rather than and more than the Light, for their works (deeds) were evil.

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

20 F or every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests) the Light, and will not come out into the Light but shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

21 B ut he who practices truth comes out into the Light; so that his works may be plainly shown to be what they are—wrought with God.

But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” John the Baptist Exalts Christ

22 A fter this, Jesus and His disciples went into the land (the countryside) of Judea, where He remained with them, and baptized.

After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.

23 B ut John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, for there was an abundance of water there, and the people kept coming and being baptized.

Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized.

24 F or John had not yet been thrown into prison.

For John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 T herefore there arose a controversy between some of John’s disciples and a Jew in regard to purification.

Then there arose a dispute between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification.

26 S o they came to John and reported to him, Rabbi, the Man Who was with you on the other side of the Jordan '> at the Jordan crossing]—and to Whom you yourself have borne testimony—notice, here He is baptizing too, and everybody is flocking to Him!

And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified—behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!”

27 J ohn answered, A man can receive nothing '> take unto himself nothing] except as it has been granted to him from heaven.

John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.

28 Y ou yourselves are my witnesses that I stated, I am not the Christ (the Anointed One, the Messiah), but I have been sent before Him.

You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before Him.’

29 H e who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the groomsman who stands by and listens to him rejoices greatly and heartily on account of the bridegroom’s voice. This then is my pleasure and joy, and it is now complete.

He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but 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 H e must increase, but I must decrease.

He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 H e Who comes from above (heaven) is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth, and talks the language of earth. He Who comes from heaven is above all others.

He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.

32 I t is to what He has seen and heard that He bears testimony, and yet no one accepts His testimony.

And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony.

33 W hoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true..

He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.

34 F or since He Whom God has sent speaks the words of God, God does not give Him His Spirit sparingly or by measure, but boundless is the gift God makes of His Spirit!

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

35 T he Father loves the Son and has given (entrusted, committed) everything into His hand.

The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.

36 A nd he who believes in (has faith in, clings to, relies on) the Son has (now possesses) eternal life. But whoever disobeys (is unbelieving toward, refuses to trust in, disregards, is not subject to) the Son will never see (experience) life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”