Nicodemus.^* 1^a Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.^* 2He came to Jesus at night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God, for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.”^b 3Jesus answered and said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born^* from above.” 4Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”^c 5Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.^d 6What is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of spirit is spirit.^e 7Do not be amazed that I told you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8The wind^* blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”^f 9Nicodemus answered and said to him, “How can this happen?” 10Jesus answered and said to him, “You are the teacher of Israel and you do not understand this? 11Amen, amen, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony.^g 12If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?^h 13No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man.ⁱ 14And just as Moses lifted up^* the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,^j