When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the
synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, ¹⁷ and
the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and
found the place where it was written:

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

     because he has anointed me

     to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

     and recovery of sight to the blind,

     to set free those who are oppressed,
¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

²⁰ And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The
eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. ²¹ Then he began to say to
them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” ²² All spoke
well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.
They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” ²³ He said to them, “Doubtless you will
quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here
also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’
” ²⁴ And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵
But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when
the heaven was shut up three years and six months and there was a severe
famine over all the land, ²⁶ yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a
widow at Zarephath in Sidon. ²⁷ There were also many with a skin disease in
Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except
Naaman the Syrian.” ²⁸ When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled
with rage. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow
of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the
cliff. ³⁰ But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by 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 do unless God is with that person.” ³ Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can
see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell 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 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with
everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came
to Jesus by 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 do unless God is
with that person.” ³ Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can
see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said
to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a
second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very
truly, I tell 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 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born
from above.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it,
but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with
everyone who is born of the Spirit.” ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, “How can these
things be?” ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet
you do not understand these things?

¹¹ “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we
have seen, yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about
earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about
heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who
descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the
serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that
whoever believes in him may have eternal life.