1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I told you, ‘All of you must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak what we know and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light, because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that his works will not be exposed. 21 But whoever practices the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be revealed as having been done in God.”

22 After this Jesus and his disciples came into the Judean countryside, and he stayed there with them and was baptizing. 23 John too was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. People were coming and being baptized, 24 for John had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 A dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. 26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you beyond the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.” 27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear witness that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The bridegroom’s friend, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

31 The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony has set his seal on this: God is true. 34 For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. 35 The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life; the wrath of God remains on him.”