Gospel According to John (MLV)
John 3)
3:1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: 3:2 this man came to him by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for* no one is able to do these signs that you are doing, unless God is with him.
3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one be born anew, he is not able to see the kingdom of God.
3:4 Nicodemus says to him, How is a man able to be born when he is old? He is not able to enter into his mother's womb a second time and to be born again, is he?
3:5 Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the kingdom of God! 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 3:7 Do not marvel that I said to you, You* must be born anew. 3:8 The Spirit is blowing where it wills and you hear the voice of it, but do not know from where it comes and where it is going: so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.
3:9 Nicodemus answered and said to him, How are these things able to happen?
3:10 Jesus answered and said to him, Are you the teacher of Israel and do not understand these things? 3:11 Truly, truly, I say to you, We speak what we know and testify of what we have seen; and you* do not receive our witness. 3:12 If I told you* earthly things and you* do not believe, how shall you* believe if I tell you* heavenly things? 3:13 And no one has ascended into heaven, except he who came down out of heaven, that is the Son of Man, who is in heaven. 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 3:15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him .
3:16 For* God so loved* the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that everyone who believes in him may not perish, but have eternal life. 3:17 For* God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world might be saved through him. 3:18 He who believes in him is not judged: he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 3:19 And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world and men loved* the darkness rather than the light; for* their works were evil. 3:20 For* everyone who is doing evil, hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be reproved. 3:21 But he who practices the truth comes to the light, that his works may be made manifest, that they have been worked in God.
3:22 After these things Jesus came and his disciples into the land of Judea; and he stayed with them and immersed*there. 3:23 And John also was immersing* in Aenon near to Salim, because <2a>many bodies of water were there and they came and were immersed*. 3:24 For* John was not yet cast into prison. 3:25 Then a debate arose from John's disciples with some Jews about purifying. 3:26 And they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, this man immerses and all men come to him.
3:27 John answered and said, A man is able to receive nothing, unless it has been given to him from heaven. 3:28 You* yourselves testify of me, that I said, I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him. 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who is standing and hearing him, rejoices with joy because of the bridegroom's voice: then this, my joy, is fulfilled. 3:30 It is needful for Him to grow but for me to diminish.
3:31 He who is coming from above is above all: he who is of the earth is of the earth and of the earth he speaks: he who is coming from heaven is above all. 3:32 What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness. 3:33 He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true. 3:34 For* he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for* he does not give the Spirit by measure. 3:35 The Father loves* the Son and has given all things into his hand. 3:36 He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
<2a> 3:23 Literally: many waters were there
Modern Literal Version Preface & Appendix, copyright 1987, 1999, 2000 by G. Allen Walker for the New Testament Committee.