11 translations · Greek
John 3:5
Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
John 3:5 in 11 translations
- WEB World English Bible
- Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
- KJV King James Version
- 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.
- BSB Berean Standard Bible
- Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.
- ASV American Standard Version
- 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.
- LSV Literal Standard Version
- Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone may not be born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the Kingdom of God;
- FBV Free Bible Version
- “I tell you the truth, you can't enter God's kingdom unless you are born of water and the Spirit,” Jesus told him.
- YLT Young’s Literal Translation
- 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;
- DBY Darby Translation
- Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born of water and of Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
- WBT Webster’s Bible
- Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
- WEBC World English Bible (Catholic)
- Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and Spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
- DRA Douay-Rheims 1899
- Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The Greek words
Each word of the Greek text in order, with its transliteration, the Berean Standard Bible’s English for it, and its Strong’s number and short definition.
| Word | Transliteration | English (BSB) | Strong’s |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ἀπεκρίθη | Apekrithē | answered | G611 ἀποκρίνω to answer |
| Ἰησοῦς | Iēsous | Jesus | G2424 Ἰησοῦς Jesus |
| Ἀμὴν | Amēn | Truly | G281 ἀμήν amen |
| ἀμὴν | amēn | truly | G281 ἀμήν amen |
| λέγω | legō | I tell | G3004 λέγω to say |
| σοι | soi | you | G4771 σύ you |
| ἐὰν | ean | unless | G1437 ἐάν if |
| μή | mē | — | G3361 μή not |
| τις | tis | one | G5100 τις one |
| γεννηθῇ | gennēthē | he is born | G1080 γεννάω to beget |
| ἐξ | ex | of | G1537 ἐκ out from |
| ὕδατος | hydatos | water | G5204 ὕδωρ water |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 καί and |
| Πνεύματος | Pneumatos | [the] Spirit | G4151 πνεῦμα spirit/breath: spirit |
| οὐ | ou | no | G3756 οὐ no |
| δύναται | dynatai | can | G1410 δύναμαι be able |
| εἰσελθεῖν | eiselthein | enter | G1525 εἰσέρχομαι to enter |
| εἰς | eis | — | G1519 εἰς toward |
| τὴν | tēn | the | G3588 ὁ the/this/who |
| βασιλείαν | basileian | kingdom | G932 βασιλεία kingdom |
| τοῦ | tou | — | G3588 ὁ the/this/who |
| Θεοῦ | Theou | of God | G2316 θεός God |
Related verses
- Ezekiel 36:25–27
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, and from all your idols. I will also give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them.
- Ephesians 5:26
that he might sanctify it, having cleansed it by the washing of water with the word,
- Acts 2:38
Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Peter 3:21
This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- 1 Corinthians 6:11
Such were some of you, but you were washed. But you were sanctified. But you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in the Spirit of our God.
- 1 John 5:6–8
This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three who testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.
- Isaiah 44:3–4
For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring: and they will spring up among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.
- Matthew 3:11
I indeed baptize you in water for repentance, but he who comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.
- Titus 3:4–7
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; …
- John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
Cross references from OpenBible.info, CC BY 4.0, most-voted first; text from the World English Bible.
In context
3 Jesus answered him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
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.’
Read all of John 3 in the World English Bible.
Edition and source notes
Each translation is shown as its source prints it, in its own verse numbering; where an edition numbers this verse differently, its own reference is given. The World English Bible, King James Version and Berean Standard Bible link to their chapter pages. Edition notes.
Literal Standard Version (2020) © Covenant Press and the Covenant Christian Coalition, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license. Free Bible Version (2018) © Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Imported from the checksum-pinned eBible.org USFX source; the extracted verse text is an adaptation shared under the same license.
The original words and their English come from the Berean Standard Bible translation tables (public domain); lemmas and short definitions from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0), with Greek definitions based on Abbott-Smith.
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