Passage
John 3.6
Book: John · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT
Immediate context (±2 verses)
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ASV (ASV)
"4. Nicodemus saith 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? 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God!"
"6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
"7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. 8. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:4-8, ASV)
WEB (WEB)
"4. Nicodemus said to 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?” 5. Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom."
"6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh. That which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
"7. Don’t marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8. The wind blows where it wants to, and you hear its sound, but don’t know where it comes from and where it is going. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”" (John 3:4-8, WEB)
KJV (KJV)
"4. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5. 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."
"6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."
"7. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. again: or, from above 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." (John 3:4-8, KJV)
YLT (YLT)
"4. Nicodemus saith unto him, 'How is a man able to be born, being old? is he able into the womb of his mother a second time to enter, and to be born?' 5. Jesus answered, 'Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God;"
"6. that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit."
"7. 'Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above; 8. the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.'" (John 3:4-8, YLT)
Setting
- Speaker: John the Apostle (traditionally) / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- Audience: later Christian audience (high-Christological emphasis; against early gnosticism)
- Location: first-century Palestine (events); possibly Ephesus (composition)
- Time period: events c. 26-33 AD (3-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85-95
Theological reading
Key words
- G4151 - pneuma, pneuma (Strong's G4151). Also appears in: Matthew 1.18, Matthew 1.20, Matthew 3.16.
- G4561 - sarx, sarx (Strong's G4561). Also appears in: Matthew 19, Matthew 26.41, Mark 14.
Quoted in
Why these four translations
ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.
The four:
- ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.
See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.