John 3:16

"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." — John 3:16 (KJV)

John 3:16 in multiple translations

KJV

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.

ASV

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

BSB

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 in context

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

¹⁵ That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁶ 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.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

¹⁸ He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

What John 3:16 means

Often called the gospel in a sentence, this verse names the motive behind everything: God so loved the world. His love is the reason the Son was given, and its aim is that whoever believes would not perish but have everlasting life.

The scope is universal (the world) and the offer is personal (whoever). It holds together the seriousness of what is at stake and the sheer generosity of God's response to it.

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