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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" /><title>John 3 ESV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/john/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/john/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">ESV</a> > John 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../john/2.htm" title="John 2">◄</a> John 3 <a href="../john/4.htm" title="John 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">English Standard Version</td><td width="1%" valign="top"><a href="/p/esv/nas/john/3.shtml" style="color:#001320" title="Parallel Chapters"> Par ▾ </a></tr></table></div></a><div class="chap"><p class="heading">You Must Be Born Again</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>This man came to Jesus<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Greek him">a</a></sup></span> by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>Jesus answered him, <span class="woc">“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7">b</a></sup></span> he cannot see the kingdom of God.”</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Jesus answered, <span class="woc">“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span><span class="woc">That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The same Greek word means both wind and spirit">c</a></sup></span></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span><span class="woc">Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The Greek for you is plural here">d</a></sup></span> must be born again.’</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span><span class="woc">The wind<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The same Greek word means both wind and spirit">e</a></sup></span> 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 who is born of the Spirit.”</span></p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Jesus answered him, <span class="woc">“Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span><span class="woc">Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12">f</a></sup></span> do not receive our testimony.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span><span class="woc">If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span><span class="woc">No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Some manuscripts add who is in heaven">g</a></sup></span></span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span><span class="woc">And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span><span class="woc">that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15">h</a></sup></span></span></p> <p class="heading">For God So Loved the World</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span><span class="woc">“For God so loved the world,<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Or For this is how God loved the world">i</a></sup></span> that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span><span class="woc">For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span><span class="woc">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 Son of God.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span><span class="woc">And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span><span class="woc">For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.</span> <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span><span class="woc">But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”</span></p> <p class="heading">John the Baptist Exalts Christ</p><p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>(for John had not yet been put in prison).</p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-28.htm"><b>28</b></a></span>You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-29.htm"><b>29</b></a></span>The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-30.htm"><b>30</b></a></span>He must increase, but I must decrease.”<span class="footnote"><sup><a href="#footnotes" title="Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36">j</a></sup></span></p> <p class="regular"><span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-31.htm"><b>31</b></a></span>He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes from heaven is above all. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-32.htm"><b>32</b></a></span>He bears witness to what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-33.htm"><b>33</b></a></span>Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-34.htm"><b>34</b></a></span>For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-35.htm"><b>35</b></a></span>The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. <span class="reftext"><a href="http://biblehub.com/john/3-36.htm"><b>36</b></a></span>Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.</p><A name="footnotes"></a><hr size="1" color="DDEEFF"><span class="mainfootnotes"><span class="mainfootnoteshdg">Footnotes:</span><br><span class="footnotesbot">a</span> <span class="fnverse">2</span> Greek <i>him</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">b</span> <span class="fnverse">3</span> Or <i>from above</i>; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both <i class="catch-word">again</i> and <i>from above</i>; also verse 7<br /><span class="footnotesbot">c</span> <span class="fnverse">6</span> The same Greek word means both <i>wind</i> and <i class="catch-word">spirit</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">d</span> <span class="fnverse">7</span> The Greek for <i class="catch-word">you</i> is plural here<br /><span class="footnotesbot">e</span> <span class="fnverse">8</span> The same Greek word means both <i class="catch-word">wind</i> and <i>spirit</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">f</span> <span class="fnverse">11</span> The Greek for <i class="catch-word">you</i> is plural here; also four times in verse 12<br /><span class="footnotesbot">g</span> <span class="fnverse">13</span> Some manuscripts add <i>who is in heaven</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">h</span> <span class="fnverse">15</span> Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15<br /><span class="footnotesbot">i</span> <span class="fnverse">16</span> Or <i><span class="catch-word">For</span> this is how God loved the world</i><br /><span class="footnotesbot">j</span> <span class="fnverse">30</span> Some interpreters hold that the quotation continues through verse 36<br /></span></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">ESV Text Edition® (2016).<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by <a href="http://www.crossway.org/home/esv/">Crossway Bibles</a>, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.<br /><br />The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. 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