Joh 3:1-15 | ESV | STEP | Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus , a ruler of the Jews .

John 3:1-15

You Must Be Born Again

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named ^aNicodemus, ^ba ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus ^{▼▼Greek him} ^dby night and said to him, ^e“Rabbi, ^fwe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do ^gunless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is ^hborn ⁱagain ^{▼▼Or from above; the Greek is purposely ambiguous and can mean both again and from above; also verse 7} he cannot ^ksee the kingdom of God.” 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?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born ^lof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 ^mThat which is born of the flesh is ⁿflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ^{▼▼The same Greek word means both wind and spirit} 7 ^pDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural here} must be born ^ragain.’ 8 ^sThe wind ^{▼▼The same Greek word means both wind and spirit} blows ^uwhere 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.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, ^v“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel ^wand yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, ^xwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but ^yyou ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural here; also four times in verse 12} do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 ^aaNo one has ^abascended into heaven except ^ache who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add who is in heaven} 14 And ^aeas Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man ^afbe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes ^agin him ^ahmay have eternal life. ^{▼▼Some interpreters hold that the quotation ends at verse 15}