But these people, who know nothing about the law, are under God’s curse.”
So listen to the Lord’s message, you who brag, you leaders in Jerusalem.
How terrible it will be for people who think they are wise and believe they are clever.
But they tell others, ‘Stay away, and don’t come near me. I am too holy for you.’ These people are like smoke in my nose. Like a fire that burns all the time, they continue to make me angry.
Have any of the leaders or the Pharisees believed in him? No!
Nicodemus, who had gone to see Jesus before, was in that group. He said,
They answered, “You were born full of sin! Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out.
Some of the Pharisees who were nearby heard Jesus say this and asked, “Are you saying we are blind, too?”