Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees.
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Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.
2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him."
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The same came to him 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."
3 Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again."
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Jesus answered him, "Most assuredly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can't see the kingdom of God."
4 "How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!"
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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?"
5 "I am telling you the truth," replied Jesus, "that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
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Jesus answered, "Most assuredly I tell you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he can't enter into the kingdom of God!
6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit.
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That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again.
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Don't marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born anew.'
8 The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit."
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The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don't know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."
9 "How can this be?" asked Nicodemus.
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Nicodemus answered him, "How can these things be?"
10 Jesus answered, "You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this?
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Jesus answered him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and don't understand these things?
11 I am telling you the truth: we speak of what we know and report what we have seen, yet none of you is willing to accept our message.
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Most assuredly I tell you, we speak that which we know, and testify of that which we have seen, and you don't receive our witness.
12 You do not believe me when I tell you about the things of this world; how will you ever believe me, then, when I tell you about the things of heaven?
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If I told you earthly things and you don't believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?
13 And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven."
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No one has ascended into heaven, but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
14 As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the desert, in the same way the Son of Man must be lifted up,
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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 may have eternal life.
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that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.
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For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
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For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him.
18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son.
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He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only born Son of God.
19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.
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This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up.
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For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, for fear that his works would be reproved.
21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.
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But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done with God."
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized.
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After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them, and baptized.
23 John also was baptizing in Aenon, not far from Salim, because there was plenty of water in that place. People were going to him, and he was baptizing them
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John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came, and were baptized.
24 (This was before John had been put in prison.)
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For John was not yet thrown into prison.
25 Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew about the matter of ritual washing.
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There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with some Jews about purification.
26 So they went to John and told him, "Teacher, you remember the man who was with you on the east side of the Jordan, the one you spoke about? Well, he is baptizing now, and everyone is going to him!"
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They came to John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, the same baptizes, and all men come to him."
27 John answered, "No one can have anything unless God gives it.
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John answered, "A man can receive nothing, unless it has been given him from heaven.
28 You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.'
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You yourselves testify about me, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before him.'
29 The bridegroom is the one to whom the bride belongs; but the bridegroom's friend, who stands by and listens, is glad when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This is how my own happiness is made complete.
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He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.
30 He must become more important while I become less important."
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He must increase, but I must decrease.
31 He who comes from above is greater than all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly matters, but he who comes from heaven is above all.
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He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the Earth belongs to the Earth, and speaks of the Earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32 He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message.
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What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
33 But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful.
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He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.
34 The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit.
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For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God; for God gives the Spirit without measure.
35 The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power.
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The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.
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He who believes in the Son has eternal life, but he who disobeys the Son won't see life, but the wrath of God remains on him."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.