Jesus and Nicodemus (Genesis 22:1–10; Romans 5:6–11)
1 DBY But there was a man from among the Pharisees, his name Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; BSB BSB: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.
2 DBY he came to him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art come a teacher from God, for none can do these signs that thou doest unless God be with him. BSB BSB: 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.”
3 DBY Jesus answered and said to him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born anew he cannot see the kingdom of God. BSB BSB: Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”
4 DBY Nicodemus says to him, How can a man be born being old? can he enter a second time into the womb of his mother and be born? BSB BSB: “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time to be born?”
5 DBY Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
6 DBY That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. BSB BSB: Flesh is born of flesh, but spirit is born of the Spirit.
7 DBY Do not wonder that I said to thee, It is needful that ye should be born anew. BSB BSB: Do not be amazed that I said, ‘You must be born again.’
8 DBY The wind blows where it will, and thou hearest its voice, but knowest not whence it comes and where it goes: thus is every one that is born of the Spirit. BSB BSB: The wind blows where it wishes. You hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”
9 DBY Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? BSB BSB: “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 DBY Jesus answered and said to him, Thou art the teacher of Israel and knowest not these things! BSB BSB: “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things?
11 DBY Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that which we know, and we bear witness of that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. BSB BSB: Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.
12 DBY If I have said the earthly things to you, and ye believe not, how, if I say the heavenly things to you, will ye believe? BSB BSB: If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?
13 DBY And no one has gone up into heaven, save he who came down out of heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. BSB BSB: No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.
14 DBY And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, thus must the Son of man be lifted up, BSB BSB: Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 DBY that every one who believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. BSB BSB: that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.
17 DBY For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him. BSB BSB: For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.
18 DBY He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. BSB BSB: Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
19 DBY And this is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light; for their works were evil. BSB BSB: And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.
20 DBY For every one that does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light that his works may not be shewn as they are; BSB BSB: Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
21 DBY but he that practises the truth comes to the light, that his works may be manifested that they have been wrought in God. BSB BSB: But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”
John’s Testimony about Jesus 22 DBY After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he abode with them and baptised. BSB BSB: After this, Jesus and His disciples went into the Judean countryside, where He spent some time with them and baptized.
23 DBY And John also was baptising in Aenon, near Salim, because there was a great deal of water there; and they came to him and were baptised: BSB BSB: Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.
24 DBY for John was not yet cast into prison. BSB BSB: (For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)
25 DBY There was therefore a reasoning of the disciples of John with a Jew about purification. BSB BSB: Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing.
26 DBY And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, he baptises, and all come to him. BSB BSB: So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”
27 DBY John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given him out of heaven. BSB BSB: John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
28 DBY Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him. BSB BSB: You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’
29 DBY He that has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices in heart because of the voice of the bridegroom: this my joy then is fulfilled. BSB BSB: The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
30 DBY He must increase, but I must decrease. BSB BSB: He must increase; I must decrease.
31 DBY He who comes from above is above all. He who has his origin in the earth is of the earth, and speaks as of the earth. He who comes out of heaven is above all, BSB BSB: 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.
32 DBY and what he has seen and has heard, this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony.BSB BSB: He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
33 DBY He that has received his testimony has set to his seal that God is true; BSB BSB: Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful.
34 DBY for he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives not the Spirit by measure. BSB BSB: For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
35 DBY The Father loves the Son, and has given all things to be in his hand. BSB BSB: The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.
36 DBY He that believes on the Son has life eternal, and he that is not subject to the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides upon him. BSB BSB: Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”