²³ While He was in Jerusalem^(A) at the Passover Festival,^(B) many trusted in His name^(C) when they saw the signs He was doing. ²⁴ Jesus, however, would not entrust Himself to them, since He knew them all ²⁵ and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man.^(D)

Jesus and Nicodemus

3 There was a man from the Pharisees^(E) named Nicodemus,^(F) a ruler^(G) of the Jews. ² This man came to Him at night and said, “Rabbi,^(H) we know that You have come from God^(I) as a teacher,^(J) for no one could perform these signs You do unless God were with him.”^(K)

³ Jesus replied, “I assure you: Unless someone is born again,^[a](L) he cannot see the kingdom of God.”^(M)

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^(N) of water and the Spirit,^[b](O) he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ Whatever is born of the flesh^(P) is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit^(Q) is spirit. ⁷ Do not be amazed that I told you that you^[c] must be born^(R) again. ⁸ The wind^[d] blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.^(S) So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^(T)

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

¹⁰ “Are you a teacher^[e] of Israel and don’t know these things?” Jesus replied. ¹¹ “I assure you:^(U) We speak what We know and We testify to what We have seen, but you^[f] do not accept Our testimony.^{[g] 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^(V) into heaven^(W) except the One who descended from heaven^(X)—the Son of Man.^{[h](Y) 14} Just as Moses^(Z) lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(AA) so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in Him will^[i] have eternal life.^(AB)

¹⁶ “For God loved^(AC) the world in this way:^[j] He gave His One and Only^(AD) Son,^(AE) so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.^{(AF) 17} For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn^(AG) 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,^(AH) because he has not believed in the name^(AI) of the One and Only Son^(AJ) of God.

¹⁹ “This, then, is the judgment: The light^(AK) has come into the world,^(AL) and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who practices wicked things hates^(AM) the light and avoids it,^[k] so that his deeds^(AN) may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[l] the truth comes to the light, so that his works^(AO) may be shown to be accomplished by God.”^[m]

1 In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, while I was among the exiles by the Chebar Canal,^(A) the heavens opened^(B) and I saw visions of God.^{(C) 2} On the fifth day of the month—it was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile^(D)— ³ the word of the Lord came^(E) directly to Ezekiel^(F) the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans^(G) by the Chebar Canal. And the Lord’s hand was on him there.^(H)

Vision of the Lord’s Glory

⁴ I looked and there was a whirlwind^(I) coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing back and forth and brilliant light all around it. In the center of the fire, there was a gleam like amber.^{(J) 5} The form of four living creatures came from it.^(K) And this was their appearance: They had human form, ⁶ but each of them had four faces and four wings. ⁷ Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the hooves of a calf, sparkling like the gleam of polished bronze.^{(L) 8} They had human hands under their wings on their four sides.^(M) All four of them had faces and wings.^{(N) 9} Their wings were touching. The creatures did not turn as they moved; each one went straight ahead.^{(O) 10} The form of each of their faces was that of a man,^(P) and each of the four had the face of a lion on the right, the face of an ox on the left, and the face of an eagle.^{(Q) 11} That is what their faces were like. Their wings were spread upward; each had two wings touching that of another and two wings covering its body.^{(R) 12} Each creature went straight ahead.^(S) Wherever the Spirit^[a] wanted to go, they went without turning as they moved.^(T)

¹³ The form of the living creatures was like the appearance of burning coals of fire and torches.^(U) Fire was moving back and forth between the living creatures; it was bright, with lightning coming out of it. ¹⁴ The creatures were darting back and forth^(V) like flashes of lightning.^(W)

¹⁵ When I looked at the living creatures, there was one wheel on the ground beside each creature that had four faces. ¹⁶ The appearance of the wheels^(X) and their craftsmanship was like the gleam of beryl,^(Y) and all four had the same form. Their appearance and craftsmanship was like a wheel within a wheel. ¹⁷ When they moved, they went in any of the four directions, without pivoting as they moved. ¹⁸ Their rims were large and frightening. Each of their four rims were full of eyes^(Z) all around. ¹⁹ So when the living creatures moved,^(AA) the wheels moved beside them, and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels also rose. ²⁰ Wherever the Spirit^[b] wanted to go, the creatures went in the direction the Spirit was moving. The wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. ²¹ When the creatures moved, the wheels moved; when the creatures stood still, the wheels stood still; and when the creatures rose from the earth, the wheels rose alongside them, for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.

²² The shape of an expanse,^(AB) with a gleam like awe-inspiring crystal,^(AC) was spread out over the heads of the living creatures.^{(AD) 23} And under the expanse their wings extended one toward another. Each of them also had two wings covering their bodies. ²⁴ When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the roar of mighty waters,^(AE) like the voice of the Almighty,^(AF) and a sound of commotion like the noise of an army.^(AG) When they stood still, they lowered their wings.

²⁵ A voice came from above the expanse over their heads; when they stood still, they lowered their wings. ²⁶ The shape of a throne with the appearance of sapphire^[c] stone was above the expanse.^[d](AH) There was a form with the appearance of a human on the throne high above.^{(AI) 27} From what seemed to be His waist up, I saw a gleam like amber, with what looked like fire enclosing it all around.^(AJ) From what seemed to be His waist down, I also saw what looked like fire. There was a brilliant light all around Him. ²⁸ The appearance of the brilliant light all around was like that of a rainbow in a cloud on a rainy day.^(AK) This was the appearance of the form of the Lord’s glory.^(AL) When I saw it, I fell facedown and heard a voice speaking.^(AM)