| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. | 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. |
| 2After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” | 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.” |
| 3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” | 3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” |
| 4“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?” | 4“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?” |
| 5Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. | 5Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. |
| 6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. | 6Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit. |
| 7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’ | 7Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’ |
| 8 The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” | 8The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” |
| 9“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked. | 9“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. |
| 10Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things? | 10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? |
| 11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony. | 11Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony. |
| 12 But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? | 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? |
| 13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. | 13No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man. |
| 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, | 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, |
| 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. | 15that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life. |
| 16 “For this is how 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. | 16For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. |
| 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. | 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. |
| 18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. | 18Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. |
| 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. | 19And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil. |
| 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. | 20Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. |
| 21 But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants. ” John the Baptist Exalts Jesus | 21But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.” |
| 22Then Jesus and his disciples left Jerusalem and went into the Judean countryside. Jesus spent some time with them there, baptizing people. | 22After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized. |
| 23At this time John the Baptist was baptizing at Aenon, near Salim, because there was plenty of water there; and people kept coming to him for baptism. | 23Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized. |
| 24(This was before John was thrown into prison.) | 24(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.) |
| 25A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing. | 25Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing. |
| 26So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Rabbi, the man you met on the other side of the Jordan River, the one you identified as the Messiah, is also baptizing people. And everybody is going to him instead of coming to us.” | 26So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.” |
| 27John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven. | 27John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. |
| 28You yourselves know how plainly I told you, ‘I am not the Messiah. I am only here to prepare the way for him.’ | 28You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’ |
| 29It is the bridegroom who marries the bride, and the bridegroom’s friend is simply glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I am filled with joy at his success. | 29The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. |
| 30He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. | 30He must increase; I must decrease. |
| 31“He has come from above and is greater than anyone else. We are of the earth, and we speak of earthly things, but he has come from heaven and is greater than anyone else. | 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. |
| 32He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them! | 32He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. |
| 33Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true. | 33Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful. |
| 34For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit. | 34For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. |
| 35The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands. | 35The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. |
| 36And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.” | 36Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” |
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