1 There was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night, and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

3 Jesus answered and told him, “Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born again, that person can’t see the kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus asked Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t go back into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, that one can’t enter the Kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Don’t marvel that I told you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind*Greek uses the same word for both “wind” and “spirit” (pneuma). blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but can’t tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus asked Him, “How can these things be?”

10 “Are you Israel’s teacher,” asked Jesus, “and yet you don’t understand these things? 11 Most assuredly, I tell you, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen, and you don’t receive our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ever gone up into Heaven except the one who came from Heaven — the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert,[b] so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes in Him should not die, but have eternal life. 16 For God so sincerely loved‡The Greek word for the strongest kind of love, agape (pronounced ah-gah-pay), is translated “sincere love” throughout this book. the world that He gave His only born Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever doesn’t believe is condemned already because that person has not believed in the name of God’s only Son. 19 This is the condemnation, that light has come into the world, but people sincerely loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who practices evil hates the light, and doesn’t come to the light, for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 Whoever practices the truth comes to the light to show clearly that their deeds have been done with God.”

22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went out into the countryside of Judea, where He remained with them, and baptized. 23 John was also baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there, and people kept coming to be baptized. 24 John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25 There were some questions between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purification. 26 They came to John and told him, “Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, that you have testified about — look, He is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to Him!” 27 John replied, “A man can receive nothing, unless it’s given to him from Heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I’m not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and rejoices when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. This joy of mine is now made complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 “He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the Earth belongs to the Earth and speaks of the Earth. He who comes from Heaven is above all. 32 He testifies about what He has seen and heard, but no one accepts His testimony. 33 The man who has accepted His testimony has certified that God is truthful. 34 The one that God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father sincerely loves the Son, and has given everything into His hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son won’t see life, for God’s wrath remains on that person.”