Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named ^aNicodemus, a ^bruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to ¹Jesus at night and said to Him, “^aRabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these ^2bsigns that You do unless ^cGod is with him.” 3 Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone ^ais born ¹again he cannot see ^bthe kingdom of God.”

4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a person be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born of ^awater and the Spirit, he cannot enter ^bthe kingdom of God. 6 ^aThat which has been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which has been born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born ¹again.’ 8 ^aThe wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it is coming from and where it is going; so is everyone who has been born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus responded and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “You are ^athe teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, ^awe speak of what we know and ^btestify of what we have seen, and ^cyou people do not accept our testimony. 12 If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 ^aNo one has ascended into heaven, except ^bHe who descended from heaven: ^cthe Son of Man. 14 And just as ^aMoses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must ^bthe Son of Man ^cbe lifted up, 15 so that everyone who ¹believes will ^ahave eternal life in Him.

16 “For God so ^aloved the world, that He ^bgave His ^conly Son, so that everyone who ^dbelieves in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God ^adid not send the Son into the world ^bto judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him. 18 ^aThe one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of ^bthe only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment, that ^athe Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for ^btheir deeds were evil. 20 ^aFor everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. 21 But the one who ^apractices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed ¹as having been performed in God.”

22 After these things Jesus and His ^adisciples came into the land of Judea; and there He was spending time with them and ^bbaptizing. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon, near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and being baptized— 24 for ^aJohn had not yet been thrown into prison.

25 Then a matter of dispute developed on the part of John’s disciples with a Jew about ^1apurification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, “^aRabbi, He who was with you ^bbeyond the Jordan, to whom you ^chave testified—behold, He is baptizing and all the people are coming to Him.” 27 John replied, “^aA person can receive not even one thing unless it ^bhas been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves ¹are my witnesses that I said, ‘^aI am not the ²Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent ahead of Him.’ 29 He who has the bride is ^athe groom; but the friend of the groom, who stands and listens to him, rejoices greatly because of the groom’s voice. So this ^bjoy of mine has been made full. 30 He must ¹increase, but I must ²decrease.

31 “^aHe who comes from above is above all; ^bthe one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. ^cHe who comes from heaven is above all. 32 What He has seen and heard, of this He ^atestifies; and ^bno one accepts His testimony. 33 The one who has accepted His testimony ^ahas certified that God is true. 34 For He whom God ^asent speaks the words of God; ^bfor He does not give the Spirit ¹sparingly. 35 ^aThe Father loves the Son and ^bhas entrusted all things to His hand. 36 The one who ^abelieves in the Son has eternal life; but the one who ^bdoes not ¹obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”