John 1
1 In the beginning the Word already was. 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 In the beginning he was with God.
He was in the beginning with God.
3 Everything came into being through him; nothing came into being without him.
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing that exists came into being.
4 In him was life, the life that was the light of everyone.
In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of men.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not extinguished it.
The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.
6 God sent a man named John.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness to explain about the light so that everyone 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 himself was not the light, but he came to witness to the light.
He was not the Light, but he existed that he might give testimony concerning the Light.
9 The true light was coming into the world to give light to everyone.
The true Light was that which illumines every man by its coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world didn't know who he was.
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 people, but they didn't accept him.
He came to the things that were His own, and His own people gave Him no welcome.
12 But to all those who accepted him and trusted in him, he gave the right to become God's children.
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 These are the children born not in the usual way, not as the result of human desire or a father's decision, but born 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 The Word became human and lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son, 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 gave his testimony about him, shouting out to the people, “This is the one I was telling you about when I said, ‘The one who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’”
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 We have all been recipients of his generous nature, one gracious gift after another.
For He it is from whose fulness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
17 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 While no one has ever seen God, God the one and only, who is close to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
No human eye has ever seen God: the only Son, who is in the Father's bosom--He has made Him known.
19 This is what John publicly stated 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 John declared plainly and clearly without hesitation, “I am not the Messiah.”
He avowed--he did not conceal the truth, but avowed, "I am not the Christ."
21 “So then, who are you?” they asked. “Elijah?” “No, I'm not,” he answered. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he replied.
"What then?" they inquired; "are you Elijah?" "I am not," he said. "Are you the Prophet?" "No," he answered.
22 “Well, who are you, then?” they asked. “We have to give an answer 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 “I am a voice calling in the desert, ‘Make the Lord's way straight!’” he said, using the words of the prophet Isaiah.
"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 The priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees
They were Pharisees who had been sent.
25 asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you're not the Messiah, or Elijah, or 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 replied, “I baptize with water, but standing among you is someone you don't know.
"I baptize in water only," John answered, "but in your midst stands One whom you do not know--
27 He is coming after me, but I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.”
He who is to come after me, and whose sandal-strap I am not worthy to unfasten."
28 This all happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
This conversation took place at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus approaching 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 the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’
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 didn't know myself who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he could 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 John gave his evidence about him, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon 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 I wouldn't have known him except he who sent me to baptize with water had told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descend to and rest upon, he is the one who baptizes with 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 I saw it happen and I declare that this is the Son of God.”
"This I have seen, and I have become a witness that He is the Son of God."
35 The next day John was standing there with two of his disciples.
Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 He saw Jesus passing by, and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God!”
when he saw Jesus passing by, and said, "Look! that is the Lamb of God!"
37 When the two disciples heard what he said they went and followed Jesus.
The two disciples heard his exclamation, and they followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned round and saw them following him. “What are you looking for?” he asked them. “Rabbi (which means ‘Teacher’), where are you staying?” they asked in reply.
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 “Come and see,” he told them. So they went with him and saw where he was staying. It was about four p.m., and they spent the rest of the day with him.
"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 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of these two disciples who had heard what John said and followed Jesus.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's exclamation and followed Jesus.
41 He went at once to find his brother Simon and told him, “We've found the Messiah!” (which means “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 took him to Jesus. Looking directly at Simon, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of John. But now you will be called Cephas,” (which means “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 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip there, and told 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 Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town that Andrew and Peter came from.
(Now Philip came from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.)
45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We've found the one that Moses wrote about in the law and that the prophets did too—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 “From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael wondered. “Just come and see,” Philip replied.
"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" replied Nathanael. "Come and see," said Philip.
47 As Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said about him, “Look, here's a true Israelite! There's nothing false about him.”
Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, and said of him, "Look! here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceitfulness!"
48 “How do you know who I am?” Nathanael asked. “I saw you there under the fig tree, before Philip called you,” Jesus replied.
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. "Before Philip called you," said Jesus, "when you were under the fig-tree I saw you."
49 “Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the king of Israel!” Nathaniel exclaimed.
"Rabbi," cried Nathanael, "you are the Son of God, you are Israel's King!"
50 “You believe this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?” Jesus replied. “You'll get to see much more than that!”
"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 Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open, and the angels of God going up and down 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."
