John 2:13-3:21

New International Version

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts^(A)

¹³When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(B) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^(C) ¹⁴In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,^(D) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.^(E) ¹⁵So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house^(F) into a market!” ¹⁷His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”^[a]^(G)

¹⁸The Jews^(H) then responded to him, “What sign^(I) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”^(J)

¹⁹Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(K)

²⁰They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^(L) ²²After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(M) Then they believed the scripture^(N) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(O) many people saw the signs^(P) he was performing and believed^(Q) in his name.^[b] ²⁴But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(R) for he knew what was in each person.^(S)

Jesus Teaches Nicodemus

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus^(T) who was a member of the Jewish ruling council.^(U) ²He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi,^(V) we know^(W) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs^(X) you are doing if God were not with him.”^(Y)

³Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.^[c]”^(Z)

⁴“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

⁵Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.^(AA) ⁶Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit^[d] gives birth to spirit.^(AB) ⁷You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You^[e] must be born again.’ ⁸The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”^[f]^(AC)

⁹“How can this be?”^(AD) Nicodemus asked.

¹⁰“You are Israel’s teacher,”^(AE) said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? ¹¹Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know,^(AF) and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony.^(AG) ¹²I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? ¹³No one has ever gone into heaven^(AH) except the one who came from heaven^(AI)—the Son of Man.^[g]^(AJ) ¹⁴Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness,^(AK) so the Son of Man must be lifted up,^[h]^(AL) ¹⁵that everyone who believes^(AM) may have eternal life in him.”^[i]^(AN)

¹⁶For God so loved^(AO) the world that he gave^(AP) his one and only Son,^(AQ) that whoever believes^(AR) in him shall not perish but have eternal life.^(AS) ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world^(AT) to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.^(AU) ¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned,^(AV) but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.^(AW) ¹⁹This is the verdict: Light^(AX) has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.^(AY) ²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.^(AZ) ²¹But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.