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John 3

Holman Christian Standard Bible, 2009 (HCSB)

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¹ There was a man from the Pharisees ⓐ named Nicodemus, ⓑ a ruler ⓒ of the Jews.

² This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi, ⓓ we know that You have come from God ⓔ as a teacher, ⓕ for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.” ⓖ

³ Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, [1] ⓗ he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⓘ

⁴ “But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”

⁵ Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born ⓙ of water and the Spirit, [2] ⓚ he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh ⓛ is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit ⓜ is spirit.

⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you [3] must be born ⓝ again.

⁸ The wind [4] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. ⓞ So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ⓟ

⁹ “How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher [5] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied.

¹¹ “I assure you: ⓠ We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you [6] do not accept Our testimony. [7]

¹² If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven?

¹³ No one has ascended ⓡ into heaven ⓢ except the One who descended from heaven ⓣ — the Son of Man. [8] ⓤ

¹⁴ Just as Moses ⓥ lifted up the snake in the wilderness, ⓦ so the Son of Man must be lifted up,

¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in Him will [9] have eternal life. ⓧ

¹⁶ “For God loved ⓨ the world in this way: [10] He gave His One and Only ⓩ Son, ⓐ so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. ⓑ

¹⁷ For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn ⓒ the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

¹⁸ Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, ⓓ because he has not believed in the name ⓔ of the One and Only Son ⓕ of God.

¹⁹ “This, then, is the judgment: The light ⓖ has come into the world, ⓗ and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.

²⁰ For everyone who practices wicked things hates ⓘ the light and avoids it, [11] so that his deeds ⓙ may not be exposed.

²¹ But anyone who lives by [12] the truth comes to the light, so that his works ⓚ may be shown to be accomplished by God.” [13]

²² After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized.

²³ John ⓛ also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized,

²⁴ since John had not yet been thrown into prison. ⓜ

²⁵ Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples ⓝ and a Jew [14] about purification. ⓞ

²⁶ So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, ⓟ the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, ⓠ is baptizing — and everyone is flocking to Him.” ⓡ

²⁷ John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven.

²⁸ You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, ⓢ but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’ ⓣ

²⁹ He who has the bride ⓤ is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly [15] at the groom’s voice. So this joy ⓥ of mine is complete.

³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.”

³¹ The One who comes from above ⓦ is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. [16] The One who comes from heaven is above all. ⓧ

³² He testifies ⓨ to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.

³³ The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. ⓩ

³⁴ For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He [17] gives the Spirit ⓐ without measure.

³⁶ The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him. ⓓ

#	HCSB
1	There was a man from the Pharisees ⓐ named Nicodemus, ⓑ a ruler ⓒ of the Jews.
2	This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi, ⓓ we know that You have come from God ⓔ as a teacher, ⓕ for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.” ⓖ
3	Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again, [1] ⓗ he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⓘ
4	“But how can anyone be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born?”
5	Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born ⓙ of water and the Spirit, [2] ⓚ he cannot enter the kingdom of God.
6	Whatever is born of the flesh ⓛ is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit ⓜ is spirit.
7	Do not be amazed that I told you that you [3] must be born ⓝ again.
8	The wind [4] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. ⓞ So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” ⓟ
9	“How can these things be?” asked Nicodemus.
10	“Are you a teacher [5] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied.
11	“I assure you: ⓠ We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you [6] do not accept Our testimony. [7]
12	If I have told you about things that happen on earth and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about things of heaven?
13	No one has ascended ⓡ into heaven ⓢ except the One who descended from heaven ⓣ — the Son of Man. [8] ⓤ
14	Just as Moses ⓥ lifted up the snake in the wilderness, ⓦ so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15	so that everyone who believes in Him will [9] have eternal life. ⓧ
16	“For God loved ⓨ the world in this way: [10] He gave His One and Only ⓩ Son, ⓐ so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. ⓑ
17	For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn ⓒ the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.
18	Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, ⓓ because he has not believed in the name ⓔ of the One and Only Son ⓕ of God.
19	“This, then, is the judgment: The light ⓖ has come into the world, ⓗ and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.
20	For everyone who practices wicked things hates ⓘ the light and avoids it, [11] so that his deeds ⓙ may not be exposed.
21	But anyone who lives by [12] the truth comes to the light, so that his works ⓚ may be shown to be accomplished by God.” [13]
22	After this, Jesus and His disciples went to the Judean countryside, where He spent time with them and baptized.
23	John ⓛ also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there. People were coming and being baptized,
24	since John had not yet been thrown into prison. ⓜ
25	Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples ⓝ and a Jew [14] about purification. ⓞ
26	So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, ⓟ the One you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, ⓠ is baptizing — and everyone is flocking to Him.” ⓡ
27	John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven.
28	You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, ⓢ but I’ve been sent ahead of Him.’ ⓣ
29	He who has the bride ⓤ is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly [15] at the groom’s voice. So this joy ⓥ of mine is complete.
30	He must increase, but I must decrease.”
31	The One who comes from above ⓦ is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthly terms. [16] The One who comes from heaven is above all. ⓧ
32	He testifies ⓨ to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.
33	The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. ⓩ
34	For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He [17] gives the Spirit ⓐ without measure.
35	The Father loves the Son ⓑ and has given all things into His hands. ⓒ
36	The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him. ⓓ

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