New Living Translation

King James Bible

1There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.

1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler 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.”

2The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

3Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and 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, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.

6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye 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 bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

9“How are these things possible?” Nicodemus asked.

9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?

10Jesus replied, “You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don’t understand these things?

10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

11 I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won’t believe our testimony.

11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

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 earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?

13 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven.

13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.

14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but 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 only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

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.

18He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

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 condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than 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.

20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

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 he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought 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 these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried 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.

23And John also was baptizing in AEnon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.

24(This was before John was thrown into prison.)

24For John was not yet cast into prison.

25A debate broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over ceremonial cleansing.

25Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

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.”

26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.

27John replied, “No one can receive anything unless God gives it from heaven.

27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be 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.’

28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before 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.

29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

30He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less.

30He must increase, but 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.

31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

32He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but how few believe what he tells them!

32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.

33Anyone who accepts his testimony can affirm that God is true.

33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

34For he is sent by God. He speaks God’s words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit.

34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

35The Father loves his Son and has put everything into his hands.

35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

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.”

36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.