Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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Jesus and Nicodemus
1 There was a Jewish leader
named Nicodemus, who belonged
to the party of the Pharisees.
2 One night he went to Jesus and
said to him, “Rabbi, we know that
you are a teacher sent by God. No
one could perform the miracles you
are doing unless God were with
him.”
3 Jesus answered, “I am telling
you the truth: no one can see the
Kingdom of God unless he is born
again.” note
4 “How can a grown man be born
again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly
cannot enter his mother's
womb and be born a second time!”
5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied
Jesus, “that no one can enter
-- --
the Kingdom of God unless he is
born of water and the Spirit.
6 A person
is born physically of human parents,
but he is born spiritually of the
Spirit.
7 Do not be surprised because
I tell you that you must all be born
again. note
8 The wind blows wherever it
wishes; you hear the sound it makes,
but you do not know where it comes
from or where it is going. It is like
that with everyone who is born of
the Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” asked Nicodemus.
10 Jesus answered, “You are a
great teacher in Israel, and you don't
know this?
11 I am telling you the
truth: we speak of what we know
and report what we have seen, yet
none of you is willing to accept our
message.
12 You do not believe me
when I tell you about the things of
this world; how will you ever believe
me, then, when I tell you about the
things of heaven? note
13 And no one has
ever gone up to heaven except the
Son of Man, who came down from
heaven.” note
14 As Moses lifted up the bronze
snake on a pole in the desert, in the
same way the Son of Man must be
lifted up, note
15 so that everyone who
believes in him may have eternal
life.
16 For God loved the world so
much that he gave his only Son, so
that everyone who believes in him
may not die but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into
the world to be its judge, but to be
its savior.
18 Whoever believes in the Son is
not judged; but whoever does not
believe has already been judged, because
he has not believed in God's
only Son.
19 This is how the judgment
works: the light has come into
the world, but people love the darkness
rather than the light, because
their deeds are evil.
20 Anyone who
does evil things hates the light and
will not come to the light, because
he does not want his evil deeds to be
shown up.
21 But whoever does what
is true comes to the light in order
that the light may show that what he
did was in obedience to God.
Jesus and John
22 After this, Jesus and his disciples
went to the province of Judea,
where he spent some time with them
and baptized.
23 John also was baptizing
in Aenon, not far from Salim,
because there was plenty of water in
that place. People were going to
him, and he was baptizing them.
24 (This was before John had been
put in prison.) note
25 Some of John's disciples began
arguing with a Jew note about the matter
of ritual washing.
26 So they went
to John and told him, “Teacher, you
remember the man who was with
you on the east side of the Jordan,
the one you spoke about? Well, he is
baptizing now, and everyone is
going to him!”
27 John answered, “No one can
have anything unless God gives it to
him.
28 You yourselves are my witnesses
that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah,
but I have been sent ahead of
him.’ note
29 The bridegroom is the one
to whom the bride belongs; but
the bridegroom's friend, who stands
by and listens, is glad when he
hears the bridegroom's voice. This
is how my own happiness is made
complete.
30 He must become
more important while I become
less important.”
He Who Comes from Heaven
31 He who comes from above is
greater than all. He who is from the
earth belongs to the earth and
speaks about earthly matters, but he
who comes from heaven is above all.
32 He tells what he has seen and
heard, yet no one accepts his message.
33 But whoever accepts his
message confirms by this that God is
truthful.
34 The one whom God has
sent speaks God's words, because
God gives him the fullness of his
Spirit.
35 The Father loves his Son
and has put everything in his power. note
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36 Whoever believes in the Son has
eternal life; whoever disobeys the
Son will not have life, but will remain
under God's punishment.
Good News [1976], GOOD NEWS BIBLE WITH DEUTEROCANONICALS / APOCRYPHA Today's English Version (AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, New York) [word count] [B15000].
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