."

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many
believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did.

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the
Jews: the same came unto him by night, and said to him, "Rabbi, we
know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these
signs that thou doest, except God be with him."

Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

{80}

Nicodemus said unto him, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he
enter a second time into his mother's womb, and be born?"

Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the
Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, 'Ye must be born
anew.' The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice
thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is
everyone that is born of the Spirit."

Nicodemus answered and said unto him, "How can these things be?" Jesus
replied to him, "Art thou the teacher of Israel, and understandest not
these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do
know, and bear witness of that we have seen; and ye receive not our
witness. If I told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall
ye believe, if I tell you heavenly things? And no man hath ascended
into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man,
which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: that whosoever
believeth may in him have eternal life."

(This is the end of the story of the Lord Jesus and Nicodemus. What
follows is added by the writer of the gospel.)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
For God sent not the Son {81} into the world to judge the world; but
that the world should be saved through him. He that believeth on him
is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already, because
he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God. And
this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men
loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.
For every one t