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John 3:30

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30, King James Version (KJV)

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

World English Bible (WEB)

Read John 3:30 in the NIV, ESV and 13 more Bibles, with study notes and the original Greek, in the Path & Light app.

John 3 (KJV)

  1. 1There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
  2. 2The 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. 3Jesus 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. 4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?
  5. 5Jesus 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.
  6. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
  7. 7Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
  8. 8The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
  9. 9Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
  10. 10Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?
  11. 11Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
  12. 12If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
  13. 13And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
  14. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
  15. 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
  16. 16For 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. 17For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
  18. 18He 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.
  19. 19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
  20. 20For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
  21. 21But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
  22. 22After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judæa; and there he tarried with them, and baptized.
  23. 23And John also was baptizing in Ænon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized.
  24. 24For John was not yet cast into prison.
  25. 25Then there arose a question between some of John’s disciples and the Jews about purifying.
  26. 26And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
  27. 27John answered and said, A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.
  28. 28Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him.
  29. 29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.
  30. 30He must increase, but I must decrease.
  31. 31He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.
  32. 32And what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth; and no man receiveth his testimony.
  33. 33He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.
  34. 34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
  35. 35The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.
  36. 36He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Related verses

Passages that readers often connect with John 3:30, in the King James Version.

  • Colossians 1:18

    And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

  • Psalm 72:17–19

    His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. …

  • Hebrews 3:2–6

    Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. …

  • 1 Corinthians 3:5

    Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

  • Isaiah 9:7

    Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

  • Revelation 11:15

    And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

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1769 standardized text (eBible.org eng-kjv). Public domain outside the United Kingdom. Text courtesy of the Crosswire Bible Society and eBible.org. World English Bible Protestant Edition (eBible engwebp, 2026-09-15 snapshot). Public domain. World English Bible is a trademark of eBible.org. Text unmodified; footnotes and formatting omitted. Related verses: OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0), from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.