JESUS’  words to Nichodemus and to you

NICHODEMUS: Rabbi, we know and are certain that You

 have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can

do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles--

and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with

him.

JESUS: most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is

 born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see

 (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the

kingdom of God.

NICHODEMUS How can a man be born when he is old?

Can he enter his mother's womb again and be born?

JESUS: I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a

man is born of water and] the Spirit, he cannot [ever]

enter the kingdom of God.

    What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the

physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is

spirit.

    Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My

 telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).

The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though

you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it

comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone

who is born of the Spirit.

..As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert [on a

pole], so must [so it is necessary that] the Son of Man

be lifted up [on the cross],

    ¹⁵In order that everyone who believes in Him [who

cleaves to Him, trusts Him, and relies on Him] may

not perish, but have eternal life and [actually]

live forever!

¹⁷For God did not send the Son into the world in or

der to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence

on) the world, but that the world might find

salvation and be made safe and sound through

Him.

    He who believes in Him [who clings to, trusts in,

relies on Him] is not judged [he who trusts in Him

never comes up for judgment; for him there is no

rejection, no condemnation--he incurs no

damnation]; but he who does not believe is

judged already [he has already been convicted and

has already received his sentence] because he has not

believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten

Son of God. [He is condemned for refusing to let his

trust rest in Christ's name.]

    ¹⁹The [basis of the] judgment (indictment, the

test by which men are judged, the ground for the

sentence) lies in this: the Light has come into the

world, and people have loved the darkness

Rather than and more than the Light, for their

works (deeds) were evil.

    ²⁰For every wrongdoer hates (loathes, detests)  

the Light, and will not come out into the Light but

shrinks from it, lest his works (his deeds, his

activities, his conduct) be exposed and reproved.

    ²¹But he who practices truth [who does what is right]

comes out into the Light; so that his works may be

plainly shown to be what they are--wrought with God

[divinely prompted, done with God's help, in

dependence upon Him].