< John 3 >
1 Now there was a man among the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 The same went to Jesus at night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come as a teacher from God, because no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten from Above, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus says to Him: “How can a man be begotten, being old? He can't enter his mother's womb a second time and be born, can he?”
5 Jesus answered: “Most assuredly I say to you, unless someone is begotten by water and Spirit he is not able to enter the kingdom of God.
6 That which has been begotten by the flesh is flesh, and that which has been begotten by the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be perplexed that I said to you, ‘You (pl) need to be begotten from Above.’
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you (sg) hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who has been begotten by the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to Him: “You are the teacher of Israel, yet you do not understand these things?
11 Most assuredly I say to you, we speak what we know and testify to what we have seen, but you (pl) do not receive our testimony.
12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I should tell you the heavenly?
13 No one has gone up into Heaven except the One who came down out of Heaven —the Son of the Man, who is in Heaven.
14 Also, just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, just so the Son of the Man must be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes into Him should not be wasted, but should have eternal life. (aiōnios )
16 Because God loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes into Him should not be wasted, but should have eternal life. (aiōnios )
17 For God did not send His Son into the world in order to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
18 The one believing into Him is not condemned, but the one not believing has already been condemned, because he has not believed into the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 “Now this is the basis for the condemning, that the Light has come into the world, but the people loved the darkness rather than the Light, because their deeds were malignant.
20 For whoever practices evil hates the Light and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
21 But whoever does the truth comes to the Light so that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they are done in God.”
22 After these things Jesus, with His disciples, went into the Judean countryside, and there He spent time with them and baptized.
23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salem, because there was plenty of water there. And people were coming and being baptized;
24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then some of John's disciples had an argument with a Judean about purification.
26 So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the One who was with you across the Jordan, about whom you have testified—well, here He is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to Him!”
27 John answered and said: “A person can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from Heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and hears him, has great joy at the bridegroom's voice. So this my joy has been fulfilled.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 “He who comes from Above is above all; he who is from the earth is earthly, and speaks of the earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all.
32 And to what He has seen and heard He testifies, yet no one receives His testimony.
33 The one who receives His testimony certifies that God is true.
34 For He whom God sent speaks God's words, because God does not give the Spirit by measure.
35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
36 The one believing into the Son has eternal life, but the one disobeying the Son will not see the Life, but the wrath of God will remain upon him.” (aiōnios )
