< John 1 >
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was face to face with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was face to face with God in the Beginning.
3 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 men.
5 And the light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overwhelmed it
6 A man came into being, sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, that he might bear testimony concerning the Light - so that all men might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light; it was to bear testimony concerning the Light that he came into being.
9 The true Light, which enlightens every man, was then coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and through him the world came into being, yet the world knew him not.
11 He came to his own creation, and his own folk welcomed him not.
12 But to all who receive him, to them he has given the right to become children of God, even to those who trust in his name;
13 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 flesh and tented with us. And we gazed on his glory - glory as of the Father’s only Son - full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness 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 out of his fulness we have all received, yes, grace upon grace.
17 For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No man has ever seen God; God, only begotten, who is in the bosom of the Father - he has interpreted him.
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent some priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
20 He acknowledged - he did not deny it - but acknowledged, "I am not the Christ."
21 "What then?" they questioned; "Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" "No," he replied.
22 Then said they to him. "Who are you? That we may give some answer to those who sent us. What account do you give of yourself?"
23 He said, "I am a voice of one who cries aloud in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as said the prophet Isaiah."
24 Now it was some of the Pharisees who had been sent to him;
25 so they questioned him, saying, "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
26 "I indeed am baptizing in water," John said in reply, "but in your midst stands One whom you do not recognize,
27 One who is to come after me, whose sandal-strap I am not worthy to untie."
28 This happened in Bethany, beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said. "Behold, that is God’s Lamb, who takes and bears away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes One who has been put before me, for he was before me.’
31 I myself did not recognize him; I only came baptizing in water, in order that he might be openly shown to Israel."
32 John also bore this testimony, saying. "I saw the Spirit like a dove descend from heaven and rest upon him.
33 And I did not recognize him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descending and resting upon him, is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’
34 This I have seen, and I am become a witness to the fact that he is the Son of God."
35 Next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples.
36 After gazing intently on Jesus as he walked about, he said, "Look! that is the Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard his exclamation, and they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus turned and saw them following him, and said, "What do you want?" They replied, "Rabbi" (which may be translated ‘Teacher’), "where are you staying?"
39 He said to them, "Come, and you shall see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was then about four o’clock in the afternoon.
40 One of the two men who heard what John said and followed Jesus, was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.
41 In the morning he found his brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (a word which means Christ, the Anointed One).
42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked intently at him and said. "You are Simon, son of John; you shall be called Cephas" (or ‘Peter,’ which means ‘Rock’).
43 Next day Jesus decided to go into Galilee; and he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."
44 Now Philip belonged to Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
45 Then Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found him about whom Moses wrote in the Law, as did the prophets - Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph’s son."
46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and said, "Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit."
48 "How do you know me?" asked Nathanael. "Before Philip called you," replied Jesus, "when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
49 "Rabbi," answered Nathanael, "you are the Son of God; you are King of Israel."
50 Jesus said in reply. "Do you believe because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree?’
51 You shall see greater things than that! Believe me," he added, "you all shall see heaven opened wide, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."
