1 Now 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 you are a teacher from God. No one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.«
3 Jesus answered: »Truly I tell you unless a person is born again brought forth from above he cannot see the kingdom of God.«
4 Nicodemus asked: »How could a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mothers womb again and be born?«
5 Jesus responded: »I tell you truth, except a man be born of water and the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!
6 »That which is born from the flesh is flesh and that which is born from the Spirit is spirit.
7 »Do not marvel that I say you must be born again.
8 »The wind blows where it will. You hear the sound of it. Yet you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. It is like this with every one who is born from the Spirit.«
9 Nicodemus asked: »How can these things be?«
10 Jesus answered: »Are you a teacher of Israel and you do not understand these things?
11 »This is the truth. We speak what we know and witness about what we have seen. But you do not receive our testimony.
12 »If I told you earthly things and you did not have faith, how will you have faith if I tell you heavenly things?
13 »No one has ever ascended into heaven but the Son of man who descended from heaven.
14 »As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of man must also be lifted up.
15 »Everyone who has an active faith in him may have everlasting life.
16 »For God loved the world so much, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever has an active faith in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 »God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world. Instead the world should be saved through him.
18 »He who has an active faith in him is not judged. He who does not have an active faith has been judged already for he has not had faith in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 »This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world. People loved the darkness rather than the light for their works were evil.
20 »Every one who does evil hates the light. He does not come to the light because his works would be reproved.
21 »He who practices the truth comes to the light. His works are made known that they are from God.«
22 After these things Jesus and his disciples traveled to the land of Judea where he stayed with them and baptized.
23 John was also baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there. People came and were baptized.
24 John had not yet been thrown into prison.
25 There was a controversy between some of Johns disciples and the Jews about purification.
26 They went to John and said: »Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, the one about whom you witnessed, he and the men with him baptize.«
27 John answered: »A man can receive nothing unless it is given to him from heaven.
28 »You bear witness that I said I am not the Christ. I have been sent before him.
29 »He that has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens to him. He rejoices greatly because he hears the bridegrooms voice. This fills me with joy.
30 »He must increase and I must decrease.«
31 »He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks from an earthly viewpoint. He who comes from heaven is superior.
32 »He testifies about what he has seen and heard, but no man accepts his testimony.
33 »He who receives his testimony confirms by his seal that God is true.
34 »For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God. God does not give the spirit by measure.
35 »The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.
36 »He who puts active faith in the Son has everlasting life. He who disobeys* the Son will not see life for the wrath of God remains upon him.« *Greek: apeitheo: willfully disobey, not having faith