Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a man from the Phariseesnamed Nicodemus,a rulerof the Jews.
2 This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,we know that You have come from Godas a teacher,for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”
3 Jesus replied,“I assure you: Unless someone is born again,he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old? ” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born? ”
5 Jesus answered,“I assure you: Unless someone is bornof water and the Spirit,he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6 Whatever is born of the fleshis flesh, and whatever is born of the Spiritis spirit.
7 Do not be amazed that I told you that youmust be bornagain.
8 The windblows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 “How can these things be? ” asked Nicodemus.
10 “Are you a teacherof Israel and don’t know these things? ”Jesus replied.
11 “I assure you:We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but youdo not accept Our testimony.
12 If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven?
13 No one has ascendedinto heavenexcept the One who descended from heaven— the Son of Man.
14 Just as Moseslifted up the snake in the wilderness,so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 so that everyone who believes in Him willhave eternal life.
16 “For God lovedthe world in this way:He gave His One and OnlySon,so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemnthe world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18 Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned,because he has not believed in the nameof the One and Only Sonof God.
19 “This, then, is the judgment: The lighthas come into the world,and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone who practices wicked things hatesthe light and avoids it,so that his deedsmay not be exposed.
21 But anyone who lives bythe truth comes to the light, so that his worksmay be shown to be accomplished by God.”
Jesus and John the Baptist
22 After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized.
23 Johnalso was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized,
24 since John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciplesand a Jewabout purification.
26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi,the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan,is baptizing — and everyone is flocking to Him.”
27 John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’
29 He who has the brideis the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatlyat the groom’s voice. So this joyof mine is complete.
30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The One from Heaven
31 The One who comes from aboveis above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms.The One who comes from heaven is above all.
32 He testifiesto what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
33 The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true.
34 For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since Hegives the Spiritwithout measure.
35 The Father loves the Sonand has given all things into His hands.
36 The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.
—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/17/32k/JHN/3-a3131c901279842e8e08fa8341714299.mp3?version_id=72—