John 3Book 43 of 66 · 36 verses · MBT primary, NKJV fallback where MBT pending
There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know You are a teacher who has come from God — for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him."
Jesus answered him, "Truly, truly, I tell you — unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb a second time and be born?"
Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I tell you — unless a person is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
What is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.'
The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."
Nicodemus answered, "How can these things be?"
Jesus answered, "You are the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things?
Truly, truly, I tell you — We speak of what We know and bear witness to what We have seen, and yet you do not receive Our testimony.
If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven — the Son of Man.
And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life."
For God so loved the world that He gave His one-and-only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.
The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but the one who does not believe stands already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one-and-only Son of God.
And this is the verdict: the Light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the Light — because their deeds were evil.
Everyone who practices evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light, so that his deeds may not be exposed.
But the one who does what is true comes into the Light, so that his deeds may be clearly seen — that they have been carried out in God.
After these things, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, and He stayed there with them and was baptizing.
John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there, and people were coming and being baptized —
for John had not yet been thrown into prison.
A dispute arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over ritual purification.
They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the One who was with you on the other side of the Jordan — the One you testified about — look, He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him!"
John answered, "A person can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, 'I am not the Christ — I have been sent ahead of Him.'
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens to him, rejoices with great joy at the bridegroom's voice. So this joy of mine is now made full.
He must increase; I must decrease."
The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what He has seen and heard, and yet no one receives His testimony.
Whoever has received His testimony has set his seal to this: that God is true.
For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God — for God gives the Spirit without measure.
The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand.
The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe the Son will not see life — for the wrath of God remains on him.