Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of
the Jews. 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.” Jesus answered
him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he
cannot see the kingdom of God.” 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?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter
the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I
said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it
wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes
from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the
Spirit.”

  Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered
him, “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand
these things? Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know,
and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our
testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one
has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the
Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him
may have eternal life.

  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever
believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the
only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into
the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light
because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things
hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works
should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the
light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been
carried out in God.”

  After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean
countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing.
John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was
plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for
John had not yet been put in prison).

  Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew
over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi,
he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore
witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John
answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is
given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said,
‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who
has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who
stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice.
Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I
must decrease.”

  He who comes from above is above all. He who is of the earth
belongs to the earth and speaks in an earthly way. He who comes
from heaven is above all. He bears witness to what he has seen and
heard, yet no one receives his testimony. Whoever receives his
testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God
has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without
measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his
hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does
not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains
on him.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001
by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by
permission. All rights reserved.