John 3:16

You see, God loved all of the people in the world. He loved everyone so much that he sent them his only son, his special son. God sent him to die instead of them, so that if anyone trusts him, God will not finish them up, but they will live with him for ever.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In Context

15so that if anyone believes in me, then they will live with God for ever.”

17You see, God sent his son into the world so that he can save the people of the world. He didn’t send him to judge people and do payback to them.

Read all of John 3

Cross References

Genesis 22:12The angel said, “Don’t kill that boy. Don’t hurt him in any way. Now I know that you respect God so much that you will do anything he tells you to do. You will even kill your only son for God.”

Mark 12:6The owner of the garden had one more person to send to get the fruit from the garden. The owner said to himself, ‘I will try one more time. I will send my son. I love him, and those men in the garden will respect him too.’ So he sent his son to that garden.

John 1:14You see, the Word became a human being. He came and lived in a body, with us here on the earth. We saw that he was really powerful, just like God. Then we knew that he was God’s only special son, and he showed us what his father is like. He was a really good man, and everything he said was true.

John 1:29The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him. John said to the people there, “Look at that man. He is the special one that God sent. You know how people kill a young sheep to pay for the bad things they did. Well, God sent this man to die, like those young sheep. He is going to let people kill him, to pay for all the bad things that everybody in the world does.

John 3:36Anyone that believes in God’s son will live with him for ever. But anyone that does not do what God’s son says, will not live with God, and God will be angry with that person for ever.”

John 10:28I will give them new life, so they will live with me for ever, and they will never finish up. Yes, I will hold them properly, so nobody can ever grab them and steal them from me.

Matthew Henry on John 3:2-22

Christ's Interview with Nicodemus. 1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study John 3:16