< John 1 >

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made through him, and apart from him nothing was made that has been made.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing that exists came into being.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity.
In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn't overcome it.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.
6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, that all might believe through him.
He came as a witness, in order that he might give testimony concerning the Light--so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light.
He was not the Light, but he existed that he might give testimony concerning the Light.
9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
The true Light was that which illumines every man by its coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, but the world did not recognize him.
He was in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, and the world did not recognize Him.
11 He came to his own, and those who were his own did not receive him.
He came to the things that were His own, and His own people gave Him no welcome.
12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God's children, to those who believe in his name,
But all who have received Him, to them--that is, to those who trust in His name--He has given the privilege of becoming children of God;
13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
who were begotten as such not by human descent, nor through an impulse of their own nature, nor through the will of a human father, but from God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only of the Father, full of grace and truth.
And the Word came in the flesh, and lived for a time in our midst, so that we saw His glory--the glory as of the Father's only Son, sent from His presence. He was full of grace and truth.
15 John testified about him and shouted out, saying, "This was the one of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'"
John gave testimony concerning Him and cried aloud, saying, "This is He of whom I said, 'He who is coming after me has been put before me,' for He was before me."
16 For of his fullness we all received, and grace upon grace.
For He it is from whose fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has seen God at any time. The only Son, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
No human eye has ever seen God: the only Son, who is in the Father's bosom--He has made Him known.
19 And this is John's testimony, when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
This also is John's testimony, when the Jews sent to him a deputation of Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him who he was.
20 And he confessed, and did not deny, but he confessed, "I am not the Christ."
He avowed--he did not conceal the truth, but avowed, "I am not the Christ."
21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
"What then?" they inquired; "are you Elijah?" "I am not," he said. "Are you the Prophet?" "No," he answered.
22 They said therefore to him, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
So they pressed the question. "Who are you?" they said--"that we may take an answer to those who sent us. What account do you give of yourself?"
23 He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."
"I am the voice," he replied, "of one crying aloud, 'Make straight the Lord's way in the Desert,' fulfilling the words of the Prophet Isaiah."
24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
They were Pharisees who had been sent.
25 And they asked him, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
Again they questioned him. "Why then do you baptize," they said, "if you are neither the Christ nor Elijah nor the Prophet?"
26 John answered them, saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you do not know.
"I baptize in water only," John answered, "but in your midst stands One whom you do not know--
27 He is the one who comes after me, whose sandal strap I'm not worthy to loosen."
He who is to come after me, and whose sandal-strap I am not worthy to unfasten."
28 These things were done in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
This conversation took place at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and exclaimed, "Look, that is the Lamb of God who is to take away the sin of the world!
30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.'
This is He about whom I said, 'After me is to come One who has been put before me, because He was before me.'
31 I did not know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel."
I did not yet know Him; but that He may be openly shown to Israel is the reason why I have come baptizing in water."
32 And John testified, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
John also gave testimony by stating: "I have seen the Spirit coming down like a dove out of Heaven; and it remained upon Him.
33 And I did not recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water, he said to me, 'On whomever you will see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, this is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'
I did not yet know Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, "'The One on whom you see the Spirit coming down, and remaining, He it is who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.'
34 And I have seen and have testified that this is the Chosen One of God."
"This I have seen, and I have become a witness that He is the Son of God."
35 Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples,
Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Look, the Lamb of God."
when he saw Jesus passing by, and said, "Look! that is the Lamb of God!"
37 And the two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
The two disciples heard his exclamation, and they followed Jesus.
38 And Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
Then Jesus turned round, and seeing them following He asked them, "What is your wish?" "Rabbi," they replied--'Rabbi' means 'Teacher' --"where are you staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come, and you will see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.
"Come and you shall see," He said. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained and spent that day with Him. It was then about ten o'clock in the morning.
40 One of the two who heard John, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's exclamation and followed Jesus.
41 He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah." (which is translated, Christ).
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" --that is to say, the Anointed One.
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, "You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which is translated, Peter).
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John: you shall be called Cephas" --that is to say, Peter (or 'Rock').
43 On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
The next day, having decided to leave Bethany and go into Galilee, Jesus found Philip, and invited him to follow Him.
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter.
(Now Philip came from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.)
45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Then Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the Law wrote, as well as the Prophets--Jesus, the son of Joseph, a man of Nazareth."
46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" replied Nathanael. "Come and see," said Philip.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, "Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit."
Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, and said of him, "Look! here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceitfulness!"
48 Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. "Before Philip called you," said Jesus, "when you were under the fig-tree I saw you."
49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are King of Israel."
"Rabbi," cried Nathanael, "you are the Son of God, you are Israel's King!"
50 Jesus answered him, "Because I told you, 'I saw you underneath the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than these."
"Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig-tree,'" replied Jesus, "do you believe? You shall see greater things than that."
51 And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
"I tell you all in most solemn truth," He added, "that you shall see Heaven opened wide, and God's angels going up, and coming down to the Son of Man."

< John 1 >