John 3
The New Consensus Bible is an AI-generated contemporary rendering, built from seven public-domain translations and the 20-tradition consensus. See all the work behind this chapter.
1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2This man came to him by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God as a teacher, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him." 3Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless someone is born from above, they cannot see the kingdom of God." 4Nicodemus says to him, "How can a person be born being old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 5Jesus answered, "Truly, truly I tell you, unless someone is born of water and Spirit, they cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must all be born from above.' 8The wind blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9Nicodemus answered and said to him, "How can these things be?" 10Jesus answered and said to him, "Are you the teacher of Israel, and you do not know these things? 11Truly, truly I tell you, we speak what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and you do not receive our testimony. 12If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13And no one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven. 14And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. 18The one who believes in him is not condemned; but the one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 19And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. 20For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their works may not be exposed. 21But the one who does the truth comes to the light, so that their works may be revealed, that they have been done in God." 22After these things, Jesus and his disciples came into the Judean countryside, and there he spent time with them and baptized. 23Now John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there, and people were coming and being baptized; 24for John had not yet been thrown into prison. 25Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purification. 26And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you have testified, look, he is baptizing, and all are coming to him." 27John answered and said, "A person can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28You yourselves testify for me that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent ahead of him.' 29The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is made full. 30He must increase, but I must decrease." 31"The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32What he has seen and heard, to this he testifies; and no one receives his testimony. 33The one who has received his testimony has certified that God is true. 34For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure. 35The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into his hand. 36The one who believes in the Son has eternal life; but the one who disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
Watch & listen
John 3
A Pharisee named Nicodemus seeks out Jesus by night to learn of heavenly things, while John the Baptist rejoices as his own ministry yields to the rising light of the Son.
The New Consensus Bible text of John 3, read aloud over the chapter’s eight scenes. The words appear below as they are read.
Film, illustrations and song are AI-generated from this chapter’s consensus — not a depiction any tradition has approved. The imagery is deliberately neutral on the points the traditions dispute, and every word spoken or printed is the New Consensus Bible quoted verbatim.