New International Version NIV
Good News Translation GNT
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.
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There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
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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."
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
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Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again."
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
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"How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!"
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.
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"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.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
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A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit.
7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’
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Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again.
8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
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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."
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
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"How can this be?" asked Nicodemus.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things?
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Jesus answered, "You are a great teacher in Israel, and you don't know this?
11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.
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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.
12 I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?
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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?
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
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And no one has ever gone up to heaven except the Son of Man, who came down from heaven."
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
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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,
15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
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so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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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.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
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For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
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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.
19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.
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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.
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.
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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.
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
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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.
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples went out into the Judean countryside, where he spent some time with them, and baptized.
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After this, Jesus and his disciples went to the province of Judea, where he spent some time with them and baptized.
23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were coming and being baptized.
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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
24 (This was before John was put in prison.)
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(This was before John had been put in prison.)
25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing.
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Some of John's disciples began arguing with a Jew about the matter of ritual washing.
26 They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan—the one you testified about—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him.”
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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!"
27 To this John replied, “A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.
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John answered, "No one can have anything unless God gives it.
28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him.’
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You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, "I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.'
29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
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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.
30 He must become greater; I must become less.”
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He must become more important while I become less important."
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all.
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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.
32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony.
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He tells what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his message.
33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful.
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But whoever accepts his message confirms by this that God is truthful.
34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
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The one whom God has sent speaks God's words, because God gives him the fullness of his Spirit.
35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands.
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The Father loves his Son and has put everything in his power.
36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
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Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not have life, but will remain under God's punishment.