1:1 | In the beginning* was the Word, and the Word was with God,* and the Word was fully God.* |
1:2 | The Word* was with God in the beginning. |
1:3 | All things were created* by him, and apart from him not one thing was created* that has been created.* |
1:4 | In him was life,* and the life was the light of mankind.* |
1:5 | And the light shines on* in the darkness,* but* the darkness has not mastered it.* |
1:6 | A man came, sent from God, whose name was John.* |
1:7 | He came as a witness* to testify* about the light, so that everyone* might believe through him. |
1:8 | He himself was not the light, but he came to testify* about the light. |
1:9 | The true light, who gives light to everyone,* was coming into the world.* |
1:10 | He was in the world, and the world was created* by him, but* the world did not recognize* him. |
1:11 | He came to what was his own,* but* his own people* did not receive him.* |
1:12 | But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name* – he has given the right to become God’s children |
1:13 | – children not born* by human parents* or by human desire* or a husband’s* decision,* but by God. |
1:14 | Now* the Word became flesh* and took up residence* among us. We* saw his glory – the glory of the one and only,* full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. |
1:15 | John* testified* about him and shouted out,* “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am,* because he existed before me.’” |
1:16 | For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.* |
1:17 | For the law was given through Moses, but* grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. |
1:18 | No one has ever seen God. The only one,* himself God, who is in closest fellowship with* the Father, has made God* known.* |
1:19 | Now* this was* John’s* testimony* when the Jewish leaders* sent* priests and Levites from Jerusalem* to ask him, “Who are you?”* |
1:20 | He confessed – he did not deny but confessed – “I am not the Christ!”* |
1:21 | So they asked him, “Then who are you?* Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!”* “Are you the Prophet?”* He answered, “No!” |
1:22 | Then they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us* so that we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” |
1:23 | John* said, “I am the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Make straight* the way for the Lord,’* as Isaiah the prophet said.” |
1:24 | (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.*)* |
1:25 | So they asked John,* “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ,* nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” |
1:26 | John answered them,* “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not recognize,* |
1:27 | who is coming after me. I am not worthy* to untie the strap* of his sandal!” |
1:28 | These things happened in Bethany* across the Jordan River* where John was baptizing. |
1:29 | On the next day John* saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God* who takes away the sin of the world! |
1:30 | This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is greater than I am,* because he existed before me.’ |
1:31 | I did not recognize* him, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”* |
1:32 | Then* John testified,* “I saw the Spirit descending like a dove* from heaven,* and it remained on him.* |
1:33 | And I did not recognize him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining – this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ |
1:34 | I have both seen and testified that this man is the Chosen One of God.”* |
1:35 | Again the next day John* was standing there* with two of his disciples. |
1:36 | Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”* |
1:37 | When John’s* two disciples heard him say this,* they followed Jesus.* |
1:38 | Jesus turned around and saw them following and said to them, “What do you want?”* So they said to him, “Rabbi” (which is translated Teacher),* “where are you staying?” |
1:39 | Jesus* answered,* “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about four o’clock in the afternoon.* |
1:40 | Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John said* and followed Jesus.* |
1:41 | He first* found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!”* (which is translated Christ).* |
1:42 | Andrew brought Simon* to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, the son of John.* You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).* |
1:43 | On the next day Jesus* wanted to set out for Galilee.* He* found Philip and said* to him, “Follow me.” |
1:44 | (Now Philip was from Bethsaida,* the town of* Andrew and Peter.) |
1:45 | Philip found Nathanael* and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also* wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” |
1:46 | Nathanael* replied,* “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”* Philip replied,* “Come and see.” |
1:47 | Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and exclaimed,* “Look, a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit!”* |
1:48 | Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied,* “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree,* I saw you.” |
1:49 | Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king* of Israel!”* |
1:50 | 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.”* |
1:51 | He continued,* “I tell all of you the solemn truth* – you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”* |