¹Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus , a ruler of the Jews .

²He came to Jesus by night and said to him , “Rabbi , we know that you are a teacher come from God , for no one can do these signs that you do , unless God is with him .”

³Jesus answered him , “ Most certainly I tell you , unless one is born anew, he can ’ t see God ’s Kingdom.”[#3:3 The word translated “anew” here and in John 3:7 (ἄνωθεν) also means “again” and “from above”.]

⁴Nicodemus 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 ?”

⁵Jesus answered , “ Most certainly I tell you , unless one is born of water and Spirit , he can ’ t enter into God ’s Kingdom.

⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh . That which is born of the Spirit is spirit .

⁷Don’t marvel that I said to you , ‘ You must be born anew.’

⁸The wind blows where it wants to , and you hear its sound , but don’ t know where it comes from and where it is going . So is everyone who is born of the Spirit .”[#3:8 The same Greek word (πνεῦμα) means wind, breath, and spirit.]

⁹Nicodemus answered him , “How can these things be ?”

¹⁰Jesus answered him , “ Are you the teacher of Israel , and don’ t understand these things ?

¹¹Most certainly I tell you , we speak that which we know and testify of that which we have seen , and you don’ t receive our witness .

¹²If I told you earthly things and you don’ t believe , how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things ?

¹³No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven , the Son of Man , who is in heaven .

¹⁴As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness , even so must the Son of Man be lifted up ,

¹⁵that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life .

¹⁶For God so loved the world , that he gave his only born Son , that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life .[#3:16 The phrase “only born” is from the Greek word “μονογενη”, which is sometimes translated “only begotten” or “one and only”.]

¹⁷For God didn’ t send his Son into the world to judge the world , but that the world should be saved through him .

¹⁸He who believes in him is not judged . He who doesn’ t believe has been judged already , because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God .

¹⁹This is the judgement, that the light has come into the world , and men loved the darkness rather than the light , for their works were evil .

²⁰For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’ t come to the light , lest his works would be exposed .

²¹But he who does the truth comes to the light , that his works may be revealed , that they have been done in God .”

²²After these things , Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea . He stayed there with them and baptised.

²³John also was baptising in Enon near Salim , because there was much water there . They came and were baptised;

²⁴for John was not yet thrown into prison .

²⁵Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John ’s disciples with some Jews about purification .

²⁶They came to John and said to him , “Rabbi , he who was with you beyond the Jordan , to whom you have testified , behold , he baptises, and everyone is coming to him .”

²⁷John answered , “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven .

²⁸You yourselves testify that I said , ‘I am not the Christ ,’ but , ‘I have been sent before him .’

²⁹He who has the bride is the bridegroom ; but the friend of the bridegroom , who stands and hears him , rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom ’s voice . Therefore my joy is made full .

³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease .

³¹“He who comes from above is above all . He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth . He who comes from heaven is above all .

³²What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies ; and no one receives his witness .

³³He who has received his witness has set his seal to this , that God is true .

³⁴For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God ; for God gives the Spirit without measure .

³⁵The Father loves the Son , and has given all things into his hand .

³⁶One who believes in the Son has eternal life , but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life , but the wrath of God remains on him .”[#3:36 The same word can be translated “disobeys” or “disbelieves” in this context.]