John.3.1

There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews.

John.3.1

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council.

John.3.1

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

John.3.1

After dark one evening, a Jewish religious leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee,

John.3.2

Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it."

John.3.2

He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

John.3.2

This man came to Jesus 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."

John.3.2

came to speak with Jesus. "Teacher," he said, "we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are proof enough that God is with you."

John.3.3

Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to--to God's kingdom."

John.3.3

In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again. "

John.3.3

Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

John.3.3

Jesus replied, "I assure you, unless you are born again, you can never see the Kingdom of God."

John.3.4

"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this "born-from-above' talk?"

John.3.4

"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

John.3.4

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?"

John.3.4

"What do you mean?" exclaimed Nicodemus. "How can an old man go back into his mother's womb and be born again?"

John.3.5

Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation--the "wind hovering over the water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life--it's not possible to enter God's kingdom.

John.3.5

Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

John.3.5

Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

John.3.5

Jesus replied, "The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.

John.3.6

When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch--the Spirit--and becomes a living spirit.

John.3.6

Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.

John.3.6

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John.3.6

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven.

John.3.7

"So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be "born from above'--out of this world, so to speak.

John.3.7

You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'

John.3.7

Do not marvel that I said to you, "You must be born again.'

John.3.7

So don't be surprised at my statement that you must be born again.

John.3.8

You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone "born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."

John.3.8

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."

John.3.8

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

John.3.8

Just as you can hear the wind but can't tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can't explain how people are born of the Spirit."

John.3.9

Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?"

John.3.9

"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

John.3.9

Nicodemus answered and said to Him, "How can these things be?"

John.3.9

"What do you mean?" Nicodemus asked.

John.3.10

Jesus said, "You're a respected teacher of Israel and you don't know these basics?

John.3.10

"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things?

John.3.10

Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?

John.3.10

Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things?

John.3.11

Listen carefully. I'm speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions.

John.3.11

I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.

John.3.11

Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.

John.3.11

I assure you, I am telling you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe us.

John.3.12

If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don't believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can't see, the things of God?

John.3.12

I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

John.3.12

If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

John.3.12

But if you don't even believe me when I tell you about things that happen here on earth, how can you possibly believe if I tell you what is going on in heaven?

John.3.13

"No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man.

John.3.13

No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man.

John.3.13

No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.

John.3.13

For only I, the Son of Man, have come to earth and will return to heaven again.

John.3.14

In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up--

John.3.14

Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

John.3.14

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

John.3.14

And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so I, the Son of Man, must be lifted up on a pole,

John.3.15

and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.

John.3.15

that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

John.3.15

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.

John.3.15

so that everyone who believes in me will have eternal life.

John.3.16

"This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.

John.3.16

"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.

John.3.16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John.3.16

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John.3.17

God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

John.3.17

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

John.3.17

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John.3.17

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.

John.3.18

Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

John.3.18

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

John.3.18

"He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

John.3.18

"There is no judgment awaiting those who trust him. But those who do not trust him have already been judged for not believing in the only Son of God.

John.3.19

"This is the crisis we're in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God.

John.3.19

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

John.3.19

And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

John.3.19

Their judgment is based on this fact: The light from heaven came into the world, but they loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

John.3.20

Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won't come near it, fearing a painful exposure.

John.3.20

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

John.3.20

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

John.3.20

They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.

John.3.21

But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is."

John.3.21

But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

John.3.21

But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

John.3.21

But those who do what is right come to the light gladly, so everyone can see that they are doing what God wants."