John 3 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

You Must Be Born Again

1 Now ^G1161 there was a man ^G444 of the Pharisees ^G5330, named ^G3686 Nicodemus ^G3530, a ruler ^G758 of the Jews ^G2453;

2 this ^G3778 man ^G3778 came ^G2064 to Jesus by night ^G3571 and said ^G3004 to Him, “Rabbi ^G4461, we know ^G6063 that You have come ^G2064 from God ^G2316 as a teacher ^G1320; for no ^G3762 one ^G3762 can ^G1410 do ^G4160 these ^G3778 [fn]signs ^G4592 that You do ^G4160 unless ^G1437 G3361 God ^G2316 is with him.” 3 Jesus ^G2424 answered ^G611 and said ^G3004 to him, “Truly ^G281, truly ^G281, I say ^G3004 to you, unless ^G1437 G3361 one ^G5100 is born ^G1080 [fn]again ^G509 he cannot ^G1410 G3756 see ^G3708 the kingdom ^G932 of God ^G2316.”

4 Nicodemus ^G3530 *said ^G3004 to Him, “How ^G4459 can ^G1410 a man ^G444 be born ^G1080 when he is old ^G1088? Can ^G1410 G3361 he enter ^G1525 a second ^G1208 time ^G1208 into his mother’s ^G3384 womb ^G2836 and be born ^G1080?” 5 Jesus ^G2424 answered ^G611, “Truly ^G281, truly ^G281, I say ^G3004 to you, unless ^G1437 G3361 one ^G5100 is born ^G1080 of water ^G5204 and the Spirit ^G4151 he cannot ^G1410 G3756 enter ^G1525 into the kingdom ^G932 of God ^G2316. 6 That which has been born ^G1080 of the flesh ^G4561 is flesh ^G4561, and that which has been born ^G1080 of the Spirit ^G4151 is spirit ^G4151. 7 Do not marvel ^G2296 that I said ^G3004 to you, ‘You must ^G1163 be born ^G1080 [fn]again ^G509.’ 8 The wind ^G4151 blows ^G4154 where ^G3699 it wishes ^G2309 and you hear ^G191 its sound ^G5456, but do not know ^G6063 where ^G4159 it comes ^G2064 from and where ^G4226 it is going ^G5217; so ^G3779 is everyone ^G3956 who has been born ^G1080 of the Spirit ^G4151.”

9 Nicodemus ^G3530 answered ^G611 and said ^G3004 to Him, “How ^G4459 can ^G1410 these ^G3778 things ^G3778 be?” 10 Jesus ^G2424 answered ^G611 and said ^G3004 to him, “Are you the teacher ^G1320 of Israel ^G2474 and do not understand ^G1097 these ^G3778 things ^G3778? 11 Truly ^G281, truly ^G281, I say ^G3004 to you, we speak ^G2980 of what ^G3739 we know ^G6063 and bear ^G3140 witness ^G3140 of what ^G3739 we have seen ^G3708, and you do not accept ^G2983 our witness ^G3141. 12 If ^G1487 I told ^G3004 you earthly ^G1919 things ^G1919 and you do not believe ^G4100, how ^G4459 will you believe ^G4100 if ^G1437 I tell ^G3004 you heavenly ^G2032 things ^G2032? 13 And no ^G3762 one ^G3762 has ascended ^G305 into heaven ^G3772, but He who descended ^G2597 from heaven ^G3772, the Son ^G5207 of Man ^G444. 14 And as Moses ^G3475 lifted ^G5312 up ^G5312 the serpent ^G3789 in the wilderness ^G2048, even so ^G3779 must ^G1163 the Son ^G5207 of Man ^G444 be lifted ^G5312 up ^G5312; 15 so ^G2443 that whoever ^G3956 believes ^G4100 will in Him have ^G2192 eternal ^G166 life ^G2222.

16 “For God ^G2316 [fn]so ^G3779 loved ^G25 the world ^G2889, that He gave ^G1325 His [fn]only ^G3439 begotten ^G3439 Son ^G5207, that whoever ^G3956 believes ^G4100 in Him shall not perish ^G622, but have ^G2192 eternal ^G166 life ^G2222. 17 For God ^G2316 did not send ^G649 the Son ^G5207 into the world ^G2889 to judge ^G2919 the world ^G2889, but that the world ^G2889 might be saved ^G4982 through ^G1223 Him. 18 He who believes ^G4100 in Him is not judged ^G2919; he who does not believe ^G4100 has been judged ^G2919 already ^G2235, because ^G3754 he has not believed ^G4100 in the name ^G3686 of the [fn]only ^G3439 begotten ^G3439 Son ^G5207 of God ^G2316. 19 And this ^G3778 is the judgment ^G2920, that the Light ^G5457 has come ^G2064 into the world ^G2889, and men ^G444 loved ^G25 the darkness ^G4655 rather ^G3123 than ^G2228 the Light ^G5457, for their deeds ^G2041 were evil ^G4190. 20 For everyone ^G3956 who does ^G4238 evil ^G5337 hates ^G3404 the Light ^G5457, and does not come ^G2064 to the Light ^G5457 lest ^G2443 G3361 his deeds ^G2041 be exposed ^G1651. 21 But he who practices ^G4160 the truth ^G225 comes ^G2064 to the Light ^G5457, so ^G2443 that his deeds ^G2041 may be manifested ^G5319 as having been ^G1510 done ^G2038 by God ^G2316.”

John the Baptist’s Last Witness

22 After ^G3326 these ^G3778 things ^G3778 Jesus ^G2424 and His disciples ^G3101 came ^G2064 into the land ^G1093 of Judea ^G2449, and there ^G1563 He was spending ^G1304 time ^G1304 with them and baptizing ^G907.

23 And John ^G2491 also ^G2532 was baptizing ^G907 in Aenon ^G137 near ^G1451 Salim ^G4530, because ^G3754 there was much ^G4183 water ^G5204 there ^G1563; and people were coming ^G3854 and were being baptized ^G907— 24 for John ^G2491 had not yet ^G3768 been ^G1510 thrown ^G906 into prison ^G5438.

25 Therefore ^G3767 there ^G1096 arose ^G1096 a debate ^G2214 between John’s ^G2491 disciples ^G3101 and a Jew ^G2453 about ^G4012 purification ^G2512. 26 And they came ^G2064 to John ^G2491 and said ^G3004 to him, “Rabbi ^G4461, He who ^G3739 was with you beyond ^G4008 the Jordan ^G2446, to whom ^G3739 you have borne ^G3140 witness ^G3140, behold ^G2396, He is baptizing ^G907 and all ^G3956 are coming ^G2064 to Him.” 27 John ^G2491 answered ^G611 and said ^G3004, “A man ^G444 can ^G1410 receive ^G2983 nothing ^G3756 G3762 unless ^G1437 G3361 it has been ^G1510 given ^G1325 him from heaven ^G3772. 28 You yourselves ^G846 [fn]are ^G3140 my witnesses ^G3140 that I said ^G3004, ‘I am ^G1510 not the [fn]Christ ^G5547,’ but, ‘I have been ^G1510 sent ^G649 ahead ^G1715 of Him.’ 29 He who has ^G2192 the bride ^G3565 is the bridegroom ^G3566; but the friend ^G5384 of the bridegroom ^G3566, who stands ^G2476 and hears ^G191 him, rejoices ^G5463 greatly ^G5479 because ^G1223 of the bridegroom’s ^G3566 voice ^G5456. So ^G3767 this ^G3778 joy ^G5479 of mine ^G1699 has been made ^G4137 full ^G4137. 30 He must ^G1163 increase ^G837, but I must decrease ^G1642.

31 “He who comes ^G2064 from above ^G509 is above ^G1883 all ^G3956, he who is of the earth ^G1093 is from the earth ^G1093 and speaks ^G2980 of the earth ^G1093. He who comes ^G2064 from heaven ^G3772 is above ^G1883 all ^G3956. 32 What ^G3739 He has seen ^G3708 and heard ^G191, of that He bears ^G3140 witness ^G3140; and no ^G3762 one ^G3762 receives ^G2983 His witness ^G3141. 33 He who has received ^G2983 His witness ^G3141 has set ^G4972 his seal ^G4972 to this, that God ^G2316 is true ^G227. 34 For He whom ^G3739 God ^G2316 has sent ^G649 speaks ^G2980 the words ^G4487 of God ^G2316; [fn]for He gives ^G1325 the Spirit ^G4151 without ^G3756 G1537 measure ^G3358. 35 The Father ^G3962 loves ^G25 the Son ^G5207 and has given ^G1325 all ^G3956 things ^G3956 into His hand ^G5495. 36 He who believes ^G4100 in the Son ^G5207 has ^G2192 eternal ^G166 life ^G2222; but he who does ^G544 not ^G544 [fn]obey ^G544 the Son ^G5207 will not see ^G3708 life ^G2222, but the wrath ^G3709 of God ^G2316 abides ^G3306 on him.”