| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. | 1Now a certain man, a Pharisee named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, |
| 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him." | 2came to Jesus at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him." |
| 3Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again." | 3Jesus replied, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God." |
| 4"How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!" | 4Nicodemus said to him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time, can he?" |
| 5Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. | 5Jesus answered, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. |
| 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. | 6What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. |
| 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' | 7Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must all be born from above.' |
| 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." | 8The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." |
| 9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked. | 9Nicodemus replied, "How can these things be?" |
| 10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? | 10Jesus answered, "Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don't understand these things? |
| 11Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. | 11I tell you the solemn truth, we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony. |
| 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? | 12If I have told you people about earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? |
| 13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. | 13No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven--the Son of Man. |
| 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, | 14Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, |
| 15that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him." | 15so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." |
| 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. | 16For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. |
| 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. | 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. |
| 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. | 18The one who believes in him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. |
| 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. | 19Now this is the basis for judging: that the light has come into the world and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. |
| 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. | 20For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. |
| 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. | 21But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. |
| 22After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized. | 22After this, Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing. |
| 23Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized. | 23John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming to him and being baptized. |
| 24(This was before John was put in prison.) | 24(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) |
| 25An argument developed between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing. | 25Now a dispute came about between some of John's disciples and a certain Jew concerning ceremonial washing. |
| 26They came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan--the one you testified about--look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him." | 26So they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you on the other side of the Jordan River, about whom you testified--see, he is baptizing, and everyone is flocking to him!" |
| 27To this John replied, "A person can receive only what is given them from heaven. | 27John replied, "No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. |
| 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.' | 28You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but rather, 'I have been sent before him.' |
| 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. | 29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This then is my joy, and it is complete. |
| 30He must become greater; I must become less." | 30He must become more important while I become less important." |
| 31The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. | 31The one who comes from above is superior to all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is superior to all. |
| 32He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. | 32He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. |
| 33Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. | 33The one who has accepted his testimony has confirmed clearly that God is truthful. |
| 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. | 34For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he does not give the Spirit sparingly. |
| 35The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. | 35The Father loves the Son and has placed all things under his authority. |
| 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on them. | 36The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God's wrath remains on him. |
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