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

Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother's womb another time and be born?

The Lord Jesus answered, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of 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. Do not be surprised that I said to you, You must be born again. The Spirit breathes where it will, and you hear its voice, but you do not know whence it comes and whither it goes: so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can this be?

The Lord Jesus answered and said to him, "You are a teacher of Israel, and do you not know this?" Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak of what we know, and bear witness of what we have seen; but you do not accept our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things, and you do not believe, how will you believe if I speak to you about heavenly things?

No one has ascended into heaven except the Son of Man who came down from heaven, Who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged, but he who does not believe is already condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the Only-begotten Son of God. Judgment consists in the fact that light has come into the world; but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil: for everyone who does evil deeds hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed, because they are evil, but he who does righteousness goes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, because they are done in God.

28. The last testimony of St. John about the Lord.

In. 3, 22-36.

After this, the Lord Jesus came with His disciples to the land of Judea, and there He lived with them and baptized. And John also baptized in Aenon near Salem, because there was plenty of water there; And they came there and were baptized. For John had not yet been locked up in prison.

Then John's disciples had a dispute with the Jews about purification. And they came to him and said to him, "Rabbi! He who was with you at the Jordan, and of whom you testified, behold, he baptizes, and all come to him.

John answered and said, "A man cannot take anything upon himself unless it be given to him from heaven." You yourselves are my witnesses that I have said, I am not the Christ, but I am sent before him. He who has a bride is a bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, standing and listening to him, rejoices with joy when he hears the voice of the bridegroom. This is my joy fulfilled. He must grow, and I must decrease.

He who comes from above is above all; but he who is of the earth is and speaks, as he who is of the earth; He who comes from heaven is above all, and what He has seen and heard, He also bears witness to; and no one accepts His testimony. Whoever received His testimony thereby sealed that God is true. For He whom God sent speaks the Word of God; for God does not give the Spirit by measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.

29. Imprisonment of St. John.