Joh 3 | ESV | STEP | Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus , a ruler of the Jews .

‏ John 3

You Must Be Born Again

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named ^aNicodemus, ^ba ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus ^{▼▼Greek him} ^dby night and said to him, ^e“Rabbi, ^fwe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do ^gunless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is ^hborn ⁱagain ^{▼▼Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7} he cannot ^ksee the kingdom of God.” 4 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 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born ^lof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 ^mThat which is born of the flesh is ⁿflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ^{▼▼The same Greek word means both wind and spirit} 7 ^pDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural here} must be born ^ragain.’ 8 ^sThe wind ^{▼▼The same Greek word means both wind and spirit} blows ^uwhere it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, ^v“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel ^wand yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, ^xwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but ^yyou ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12} do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 ^aaNo one has ^abascended into heaven except ^ache who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add who is in heaven} 14 And ^aeas Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man ^afbe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes ^agin him ^ahmay have eternal life. ^{▼▼Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15}

For God So Loved the World

16 “For ^ajGod so loved ^akthe world, ^{▼▼Or For this is how God loved the world} ^amthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not ^anperish but have eternal life. 17 For ^aoGod did not send his Son into the world ^apto condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 ^aqWhoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not ^arbelieved in the name of the only Son of God. 19 ^asAnd this is the judgment: ^atthe light has come into the world, and ^aupeople loved the darkness rather than the light because ^avtheir works were evil. 20 ^awFor everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ^axlest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever ^aydoes what is true ^azcomes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and ^bawas baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for ^bbJohn had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over ^bcpurification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, ^bd“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, ^beto whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and ^bfall are going to him.” 27 John answered, ^bg“A person cannot receive even one thing ^bhunless it is given him ^bifrom heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^bj‘I am not the Christ, but ^bkI have been sent before him.’ 29 ^blThe one who has the bride is the bridegroom. ^bmThe friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, ^bnrejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 ^boHe must increase, but I must decrease.” ^{▼▼Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36}

31 ^bqHe who comes from above ^bris above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and ^bsspeaks in an earthly way. ^btHe who comes from heaven ^buis above all. 32 ^bvHe bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ^bwyet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony ^bxsets his seal to this, ^bythat God is true. 34 For he whom ^bzGod has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit ^cawithout measure. 35 ^cbThe Father loves the Son and ^cchas given all things into his hand. 36 ^cdWhoever believes in the Son has eternal life; ^cewhoever does not obey the Son shall not ^cfsee life, but the wrath of God remains on him.