John 1
1 In the beginning the Word was; 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 through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.
Everything was made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.
4 That which came into being in him was life; and the life was the light of humanity;
In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind.
5 and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness hasn’t overcome it.
6 There appeared 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 bear witness to the light so that through him everyone might believe.
This man came as a witness, to testify about the light, that all through him might believe.
8 He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light.
He wasn’t that light, but was sent as a witness of that light.
9 That was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world.
The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world; and through him the world came into being – yet the world did not know him.
The Word was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world didn’t recognize Him.
11 He came to his own – yet his own did not receive him.
He came to His own, and those who were His own didn’t receive Him.
12 But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God – to those who believe in his name.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in His name:
13 For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to human will did they owe the new life, but to God.
who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became human, and lived among us, (We saw his glory – the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth.
The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John bears witness to him; he cried aloud – for it was he who spoke – ‘He who is coming after me is now before me, for he was ever first’);
John testified about Him. He cried out, saying, “This was He who I told you about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
16 out of his fullness we have all received gift after gift of love;
From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
17 for the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever yet seen God; God the only Son, who is ever with the Father – he has revealed him.
No one has ever seen God, but God’s only born Son, who is near to the heart of His Father, has made Him known.
19 When the religious authorities in Jerusalem sent some Priests and Levites to ask John – ‘Who are you?’,
Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 he told them clearly and simply, ‘I am not the Christ.’
He confessed, and didn’t deny, but confessed, “I’m not the Christ.”
21 ‘What then?’ they asked. ‘Are you Elijah?’ ‘No,’ he said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you “the prophet”?’ He answered, ‘No.’
They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
22 ‘Who then are you?’ they continued. ‘Tell us so that we have an answer to give to those who have sent us. What do you say about yourself?’
Then they asked him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 ‘I,’ he answered, ‘am – “The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: make a straight road for the Lord”, as the prophet Isaiah said.’
John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
24 These men had been sent from the Pharisees;
Now those who were sent were Pharisees.
25 and their next question was, ‘Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ or Elijah or “the prophet”?’
They asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John’s answer was – ‘I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;
John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but One stands among you that you don’t know.
27 he is coming after me, yet I am not worthy even to unfasten his sandal.’
It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”
28 This happened at Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed, ‘Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Look! God’s Lamb who takes away the sin of the world!
30 I was talking about him when I said “After me there is coming a man who ranks ahead of me, because before I was born he already was.”
This is the One I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me is preferred before me because He existed before me.’
31 I did not know who he was, but I have come baptizing with water to make him known to Israel.’
I didn’t know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
32 John also said: ‘I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and rest on him.
John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me “He on whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him – he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
I wouldn’t have known Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘Whoever you see the Spirit descending upon, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 This I have seen myself, and I have declared my belief that he is the Son of God.’
I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Son.”
35 The next day, when John was standing with two of his disciples,
The next day, John again stood with two of His disciples.
36 he looked at Jesus as he passed and exclaimed, ‘There is the Lamb of God!’
When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, God’s Lamb!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and followed Jesus.
The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.
38 But Jesus turned round, and saw them following. ‘What are you looking for?’ he asked. ‘Rabbi,’ they answered (or, as we should say, “Teacher”), ‘where are you staying?’
Jesus turned, and seeing them following, asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which, when translated, means Teacher), “Where are You staying?”
39 ‘Come, and you will see,’ he replied. So they went, and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was then about four in the afternoon.
He told them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two, who heard what John said and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.
41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah!’ (a word which means “Christ,” or “Consecrated”.)
The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, translated, the Christ).
42 Then he brought him to Jesus. Looking straight at him, Jesus said, ‘You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas’ (which means “Peter,” or “Rock”).
Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
43 The following day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he told him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 He found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and of whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph’s son!’
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found Him who Moses in the Law, and also the prophets, wrote about — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ asked Nathanael. ‘Come and see,’ replied Philip.
Nathanael asked Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip told Nathanael, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said, ‘Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!’
Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of Nathanael, “Look! An Israelite indeed, who has no deceit in him!”
48 ‘How do you know me?’ asked Nathanael. ‘Even before Philip called you,’ replied Jesus, ‘when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’
Nathanael asked Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 ‘Rabbi,’ Nathanael exclaimed, ‘you are the Son of God, you are king of Israel!’
Nathanael answered, “Rabbi, You are God’s Son. You are the King of Israel.”
50 ‘Do you believe in me,’ asked Jesus, ‘because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than those!
Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”
51 In truth I tell you,’ he added, ‘you will all see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’
And He told him, “Most assuredly, I tell you, you will see Heaven opened, and God’s angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
