John 3:1-15 - A Meeting With Nicodemus

¹ Now one of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, was there, a ruler of the Jews: ² who came to Jesus by night, and said to him, rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher sent from God: for no man can perform the miracles that you do, except God be with him.

³ Jesus answered him, I declare unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

⁴ Nicodemus replied, how can a man be born when he is old? can he enter into his mother, and be born a second time?

⁵ Jesus answered, I tell thee, except a man be renewed by the spiritual baptism, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. ⁶ the cleansing of the body is only external, but the purification of the spirit is spiritual. ⁷ be not surprized that I said to thee, you must be born again. ⁸ the wind bloweth where it listeth, and you hear the sound thereof, but cannot tell whence it comes, or whither it goes: such is the change in every one that is renewed by the spirit.

⁹ Nicodemus answered, how can that be?

¹⁰ Jesus answered him, are you a doctor in Israel, and not know these things? ¹¹ I declare unto thee, we speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; but you do not receive our testimony. ¹² if you don't believe when I tell you what is plain, how should you believe, if I tell you of things more sublime? ¹³ for no man hath penetrated into the secrets of heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the son of man, who is in heaven. ¹⁴ but as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the son of man be lifted up: ¹⁵ that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have eternal life.