1 B ut there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews;

There was a man named Nicodemus. He was a proud religious law-keeper and a leader of the Jews.

2 h e came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him.

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Teacher, we know You have come from God to teach us. No one can do these powerful works You do unless God is with Him.” Jesus Tells of the New Kind of Birth

3 J esus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus said to him, “For sure, I tell you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the holy nation of God.”

4 N icodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born?

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? How can he get into his mother’s body and be born the second time?”

5 J esus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

Jesus answered, “For sure, I tell you, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit of God, he cannot get into the holy nation of God.

6 T hat which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh. Whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 D o not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that ye should be born anew.

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

8 T he wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit.

The wind blows where it wants to and you hear its sound. You do not know where it comes from or where it goes. It is the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit of God.”

9 N icodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be?

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can this be?”

10 J esus answered and said to him, Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things!

Jesus said, “Are you a teacher among the Jews and do not know these things?

11 V erily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness.

For sure, I tell you, We are talking about things We know. We tell of what We have seen. Yet you do not take Our words to be true.

12 I f I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe?

I tell you about things of the earth and you do not believe them. How will you believe if I tell you things about heaven?

13 A nd no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven.

“No one has gone up into heaven except the One Who came down from heaven. That One is the Son of Man Who is in heaven.

14 A nd as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up,

As Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.

15 t hat every one who believes on him may have life eternal.

Then whoever puts his trust in Him will have life that lasts forever.

16 F or God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.

17 F or God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him.

For God did not send His Son into the world to say it is guilty. He sent His Son so the world might be saved from the punishment of sin by Him.

18 H e that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

Whoever puts his trust in His Son is not guilty. Whoever does not put his trust in Him is guilty already. It is because he does not put his trust in the name of the only Son of God.

19 A nd this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil.

“The Light has come into the world. And the Light is the test by which men are guilty or not. People love darkness more than the Light because the things they do are sinful.

20 F or every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are;

Everyone who sins hates the Light. He stays away from the Light because his sin would be found out.

21 b ut he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God.

The man who does what is right comes to the Light. What he does will be seen because he has done what God wanted him to do.” Jesus Preaches in Judea

22 A fter these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them and baptised.

After this, Jesus and His followers came into the country of Judea. He stayed with them there and baptized people. John the Baptist Tells More about Jesus

23 A nd John also was baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was a great deal of water there; and they came to and were baptised:

John was baptizing in the town of Aenon near Salim. There was much water there and people were coming to be baptized.

24 f or John was not yet cast into prison.

John had not been put in prison yet.

25 T here was therefore a reasoning of the disciples of John with a Jew about purification.

Then some of the followers of John and a Jew started to argue about the religious washing of the Jewish worship.

26 A nd they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him.

They came to John and said to him, “Teacher, the One with you on the other side of the Jordan River is baptizing also. He is the One you told of. Everyone is going to Him.”

27 J ohn answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given him out of heaven.

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

28 Y e yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.

You heard the words that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him.’

29 H e that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled.

The man who has just been married has the bride. The friend of the man just married stands at his side and listens to him. He has joy when he hears the voice of the man just married. I am full of this joy.

30 H e must increase, but I must decrease.

He must become more important. I must become less important.

31 H e who comes from above is above all. He who has his origin in the earth is of the earth, and speaks of the earth. He who comes out of heaven is above all,

“He Who comes from above is above all. He who comes from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. He Who comes from heaven is above all.

32 w hat he has seen and has heard, this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony.

He tells of what He has seen and heard. But no one believes what He says.

33 H e that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true;

Whoever receives His words proves that God is true.

34 f or he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure.

He was sent by God and He speaks God’s Word. God gives Him all of His Spirit.

35 T he Father loves the Son, and has given all things in his hand.

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

36 H e that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him.

He who puts his trust in the Son has life that lasts forever. He who does not put his trust in the Son will not have life, but the anger of God is on him.”