Now there was a man
of the Pharisees
, named
aNicodemus
, a bruler
of the Jews
;
this man
came
to Jesus by night
and said
to Him, " aRabbi
, we know
that You have come
from God
as a teacher
; for no
one
can
do
these
1 bsigns
that You do
unless
cGod
is with him."
Jesus answered
and said
to him, "Truly
, truly
, I say
to you, unless
one
ais born
1again
he cannot
see
bthe kingdom
of God
."
Nicodemus *said
to Him, "How
can
a man
be born
when he is old
? He cannot
enter
a second
time
into his mother's
womb
and be born
, can he?"
Jesus answered
, "Truly
, truly
, I say
to you, unless
one
is born
of awater
and the Spirit
he cannot
enter
into bthe kingdom
of God
.
" aThat which is born of the flesh
is flesh
, and that which is born
of the Spirit
is spirit
.
"Do not be amazed that I said
to you, `You must
be born
1again
.'
" aThe wind blows
where
it wishes
and you hear
the sound
of it, but do not know
where
it comes
from and where
it is going
; so
is everyone
who is born
of the Spirit
."
Nicodemus said
to Him, "How
can
these
things
be?"
Jesus answered
and said
to him, "Are you athe teacher
of Israel
and do not understand
these
things
?
"Truly, truly
, I say
to you, awe speak
of what
we know
and btestify
of what
we have seen
, and byou do not accept
our testimony
.
"If I told
you earthly
things
and you do not believe
, how
will you believe
if
I tell
you heavenly
things
?
" aNo one
has ascended
into heaven
, but bHe who descended
from heaven
: cthe Son
of Man
.
"As aMoses lifted
up the serpent
in the wilderness
, even so
must
bthe Son
of Man
cbe lifted
up;
so that whoever
1believes
will ain Him have
eternal
life
.
"For God so
aloved
the world
, that He bgave
His 1 conly
begotten
Son
, that whoever
dbelieves
in Him shall not perish
, but have
eternal
life
.
"For God adid not send
the Son
into the world
bto judge
the world
, but that the world
might be saved
through
Him.
" aHe who believes in Him is not judged
; he who does not believe
has been judged
already
, because
he has not believed
in the name
of bthe 1only
begotten
Son
of God
.
"This is the judgment
, that athe Light
has come
into the world
, and men
loved
the darkness
rather
than
the Light
, for btheir deeds
were evil
.
" aFor everyone who does
evil
hates
the Light
, and does not come
to the Light
for fear
that his deeds
will be exposed
.
"But he who apractices the truth
comes
to the Light
, so
that his deeds
may be manifested
as having been
wrought
in God
."
After these
things
Jesus
and His adisciples
came
into the land
of Judea
, and there
He was spending
time
with them and bbaptizing
.
John also
was baptizing
in Aenon
near
Salim
, because
there was much
water
there
; and people were coming
and were being baptized
--
for aJohn had not yet
been
thrown
into prison
.
Therefore there
arose
a discussion
on the part of John's
disciples
with a Jew
about
apurification
.
And they came to John
and said
to him, " aRabbi
, He who
was with you bbeyond
the Jordan
, to whom
you chave testified
, behold
, He is baptizing
and all
are coming
to Him."
John answered
and said
, " aA man
can
receive
nothing
unless
it bhas been
given
him from heaven
.
"You yourselves 1are my witnesses
that I said
, ` aI am
not the 2Christ
,' but, `I have been
sent
ahead
of Him.'
"He who has the bride
is athe bridegroom
; but the friend
of the bridegroom
, who stands
and hears
him, rejoices
greatly
because
of the bridegroom's
voice
. So
this
bjoy
of mine
has been made
full
.
"He must increase
, but I must decrease
.
" aHe who comes from above
is above
all
, bhe who is of the earth
is from the earth
and speaks
of the earth
. aHe who comes
from heaven
is above
all
.
"What He has seen
and heard
, of that He atestifies
; and ano
one
receives
His testimony
.
"He who has received His testimony
ahas set
his seal
to this, that God
is true
.
"For He whom God
has asent
speaks
the words
of God
; 1 bfor He gives
the Spirit
without
measure
.
" aThe Father loves
the Son
and bhas given
all
things
into His hand
.
"He who abelieves in the Son
has
eternal
life
; but he who bdoes not 1obey
the Son
will not see
life
, but the wrath
of God
abides
on him."