1. Among the Pharisees there was a ruler of the Jews named Nicodemus.

2. He came to Jesus by night and said, "Rabbi, we know that you have come from God to teach us, for no one can perform miraculous signs like yours unless God is with him."

3. Jesus replied, "Truly, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again from above."

4. Nicodemus said, "How can there be rebirth for a grown man? Who could go back to his mother's womb and be born again?"

5. Jesus replied, "Truly, I say to you: No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

6. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

7. Because of this, don't be surprised when I say: 'You must be born again from above.'

8. The wind blows where it pleases and you hear its sound, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

9. Nicodemus asked again, "How can this be?"

10. And Jesus answered, "You are a teacher in Israel, and you don't know these things!

11. Truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know and we witness to the things we have seen, but you don't accept our testimony.

12. If you don't believe when I speak of earthly things, what then, when I speak to you of heavenly things?

13. No one has ever gone up to heaven except the one who came from heaven, the Son of Man.

14. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

15. so that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16. Yes, God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but may have eternal life.

17. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world; instead, through him the world is to be saved.

18. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned. He who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the Name of the only Son of God.

19. This is how the Judgment is made: Light has come into the world and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

20. For whoever does wrong hates the light and doesn't come to the light for fear that his deeds will be shown as evil.

21. But whoever lives according to the truth comes into the light so that it can be clearly seen that his works have been done in God."

22. After this, Jesus went into the territory of Judea with his disciples. He stayed there with them and baptized.

23. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim where water was plentiful; people came to him and were baptized.

24. This happened before John was put in prison.

25. Now John's disciples had been questioned by a Jew about spiritual cleansing,

26. so they came to him and said, "Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, and about whom you spoke favorably, is now baptizing and all are going to him."

27. John answered, "No one can take on anything except what has been given him from heaven.

28. You yourselves are my witnesses that I said: 'I am not the Christ but I have been sent before him.'

29. Only the bridegroom has the bride; but the friend of the bridegroom stands by and listens, and rejoices to hear the bridegroom's voice. My joy is now full.

30. It is necessary that he increase but that I decrease.

31. He who comes from above is above all; he who comes from the earth belongs to the earth and his words, too, are earthly. The One who comes from heaven

32. speaks of the things he has seen and heard; he bears witness to this but no one accepts his testimony.

33. Whoever does receive his testimony acknowledges the truthfulness of God.

34. The one sent by God speaks God's words and gives the Spirit without measure.

35. For the Father loves the Son and has entrusted everything into his hands.

36. Whoever believes in the Son lives with eternal life, but he who will not believe in the Son will never know life and always faces the justice of God."





“Reze, reze! Quem muito reza se salva e salva os outros. E qual oração pode ser mais bela e mais aceita a Nossa Senhora do que o Rosario?” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina