John 1
1 The one who expresses [MET] ([God’s character/what God is like]) has always existed (from the beginning [MTY] [of everything/before everything began]). He has always existed with God, and he has God’s nature.
In the beginning, was the Word; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.
2 He always existed with God [before] he began [MTY] [to create anything].
He was in the beginning with God.
3 He is the one by whom [God] caused everything to exist. He is the one who created absolutely everything [LIT].
Every thing was by his hand; and without him, was not any thing whatever that existed.
4 He is the one who [caused everything to] live. He, who caused us people to live, [revealed to us the truth about God as] a light [MET] [reveals what is in the darkness].
In him was life; and the life was the light of man.
5 People do not want him to reveal [that what they do is evil] [MET], just [like] darkness [is evil]. But [just like] darkness cannot put out light [MET], [evil people have never prevented the one who was like a light from revealing God’s truth] (OR, [evil people have never] understood the [one who was like] a light.)
And this light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not.
6 A man whose name was John was sent by God {God sent a man whose name was John}.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came to tell people [about the one who was like] [MET] a light. He came to show that everything that the [one who was like a light] [MET] said was true, in order that he could enable all people to believe [in the one who was like a light].
He came for testimony, to bear witness concerning the light.
8 John himself was not the [one who was like a] light [MET]. Instead, he came to tell others about that [one who was like a] light.
He was not himself the light, but came to bear witness concerning the light.
9 [While John was doing that], the one who was truly [like] a light was about to show himself to the world. He was the one who enables all people [to know about God, as] a light [MET] enables [people to know what is in the darkness].
The true light was that, which enlighteneth every man who cometh into the world.
10 Although the one [who was like a light] was [here] on the earth, and although he was the one whom [God] caused to create everything, [most] people [MTY, HYP] did not realize who he [was]. (OR, although he was the one whom [God] caused to create everything, [most] people did not accept him.)
He was in the world; and the world was by his hand; and the world did not know him.
11 Although he came to the land that belonged to him [because he created it, most of] his own people, [the Jews], rejected him (OR, did not accept him).
He came to his own people; and his own people received him not.
12 But those [of us who welcomed him, God] authorized [that we would have a relationship with] him [MET] [like] children [have a relationship with their father]. We were people who believed [that what he said] about himself [MTY] [was true].
But such as received him, to them gave he the prerogative to be children of God; even to them that believe on his name;
13 We became [like God’s children], not because our ancestors [belonged to God], or because of someone’s sexual desires, nor because some man desired to have children like himself. Instead, we were caused by God {God caused us} to become [like] his children.
who are born, not of blood, nor of the pleasure of the flesh, nor of the pleasure of man, but of God.
14 The one who expresses [MET] ([God’s character/what God is like]) became a human being, and he lived among us [for a while]. As a result, we saw how wonderful he is. He came from [God] his father, and there was no other person as wonderful as he. He was wonderful because he always acted (kindly toward us/in ways we did not deserve), and he always [spoke] truthfully to us [about God].
And the: Word became flesh, and tabernacled with us: and we saw his glory, a glory as of the only begotten from the Father, that he was full of grace and truth.
15 [One day] when John was telling people about him, [he saw Jesus]. Then he shouted to them, “I told you [previously] that someone will come later who is more important than I am, since he existed [long] before me. This [is the man I was talking about]!”
John testified of him, and cried, and said: This is he, of whom I said, That he cometh after me, and is before me; for he was prior to me.
16 We have all benefited very much from what he has done. Again and again, he has acted in kind way toward us in ways we did not deserve.
And of his plenitude have we all received, and grace for grace.
17 Moses proclaimed [God’s] laws [to our ancestors]. But what Jesus Christ did for us [was much better]. He acted in kindness toward us in ways we did not deserve and told us the truth [about God].
For the law was given by the hand of Moses; but the reality and grace was by the hand of Jesus Messiah.
18 No one has ever seen God. But God’s only Son, [Jesus], who has always had a very close relationship with God, has told us about God.
No man hath ever seen God; the only begotten God, he who is in the bosom of his Father, he hath declared him.
19 The Jewish [leaders] [SYN] in Jerusalem [city] sent some [Jewish] priests and (Levites/men who worked in the temple) to where John was, to ask him some questions. They said to him, “What do you [claim about] yourself?”
And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews of Jerusalem sent to him priests and Levites, to ask him, Who art thou?
20 So John told them the truth, and he told them clearly [DOU]. He said, “[I] am not (the Messiah/God’s chosen king)!”
And he confessed, and denied not, but confessed I am not the Messiah.
21 Then they asked him, “Then what [do you say about yourself]? Are you [the prophet] Elijah [that was prophesied to return] {([someone/another prophet]) [prophesied would return]} [before the Messiah]?” He replied, “No, [I] am not.” Then they asked him, “Are you the prophet [like Moses that] ([we are waiting for/God promised to send])?” He replied, “No.”
And they asked him again: Who then? Art thou Elijah? And he said: I am not. Art thou a prophet? And he said, No.
22 So they asked him, “Then who do you [claim to be]? [Tell us] so that we can [go back and] report to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
And they said to him: Who art thou? that we may give answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 John replied, “[I] am the one [the prophet Isaiah said] would proclaim [this new message] loudly [to the people who would pass by] in this desolate area: ‘Prepare [yourselves to receive] the Lord when he comes [MET], [just like people prepare] a road [for an important official].
He said: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make smooth the way of the Lord; as said the prophet Isaiah.
24 Some of those people [who were questioning] John were ones who had been sent by the Pharisee [religious group] {whom the Pharisee [religious group] had sent}.
And they who were sent, were of the Pharisees.
25 They asked John, “Since [you say] you are not the Messiah, nor [the prophet] Elijah, nor the prophet [like Moses], [what authority] do you have? [Furthermore], why are you baptizing [Jews, treating them as though they were non-Jews who wanted to become Jews]?”
And they asked him, and said to him: Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor a prophet?
26 John replied, “I am [just] baptizing people with water [to prepare them to welcome the Messiah]. But [right now] someone is among you whom you people do not know.
John answered, and said to them; I baptize with water; but among you standeth one, whom ye do not know.
27 He [will preach to you] after I [am gone]. [He is so important that] I am not worthy to [serve him as a slave] [MET] [by] untying his sandals.”
He it is that cometh after me, and was before me, whose shoe-strings I am not worthy to untie.
28 Those things happened at [a place called] Bethany, on the [east] side of the Jordan [River], where John was baptizing people.
These things occurred in Bethany, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. He said to the people, “Look! Here is the [man whom] God [has appointed to be a sacrifice] [MET], [like] the lambs [that the people of Israel sacrificed! By sacrificing himself] he will [make it possible for everyone in] the world to be no longer [guilty for having] sinned.
The day after, John saw Jesus coming towards him, and said: Behold, the Lamb of God, that beareth the sin of the world.
30 He is the one about whom I said [before], ‘Someone will come later who is more important than I am, since he existed [long] before me.’
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man, who is before me, for he was prior to me.
31 I myself did not [previously] recognize that he [was the Messiah]. But [now I know who he is], and I have baptized people with water to enable [you people of] Israel to recognize who he is.”
And I knew him not; but that he might be known to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32 John spoke clearly [what God had shown him about Jesus]. He said, “I saw [God’s] Spirit as he was descending from heaven in the form of a dove. The Spirit remained on Jesus.
And John testified, and said: I saw the Spirit descend from heaven, as a dove, and rest upon him.
33 I myself did not know [previously] that he [was the Messiah]. However, [God] sent me to baptize people with water, [people who said they wanted to turn from their sinful ways. While I was doing that], God told me, ‘The man on whom you will see my Spirit descend and remain is the one who will put the Holy Spirit within you [(pl) to truly change your lives].’
And I did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me- On whom thou seest the Spirit descend, and rest upon him, he baptizeth with the Holy Spirit.
34 I saw [the Spirit descend on him], and I tell you that he is (the Son of God/the person who is both God and man).”
And I saw; and I testify, that this is the Son of God.
35 The next day John was at the same place again (with two of us/with two of his disciples).
And the next day, John was standing, and two of his disciples.
36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look! There is the man God [has appointed to be a sacrifice, like] the lambs [MET] [the people of Israel have sacrificed!]”
And he looked upon Jesus as he walked, and said: Behold, the Lamb of God!
37 (When we/those two disciples) heard John say this, we/they went with Jesus.
And his two disciples heard him when he said it, and they went after Jesus.
38 Jesus turned around and saw us/them coming behind him. So he asked us/them, “What do you want?” We/They replied, “Teacher, [tell us] where you are staying, [because we want to talk with you].”
And Jesus turned, and saw them coming after him, and he said to them: What seek ye? They said to him: Our Rabbi, where stayest thou?
39 He replied, “Come [with me], and you will see [where I am staying]!” So we/they went with him and saw where he was staying. We/They stayed with him until about 4 o’clock (OR, from about 4 PM until the next day).
He said to them: Come, and see. And they came and saw where he lodged; and they were with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
40 (One of us/One of the two men) who heard what John had said and who went with Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s [younger] brother.
And one of those who heard John and went after Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon.
41 [After Andrew left Jesus], the first thing he did was to find his own [older] brother Simon and say to him, “We have found the Messiah!”
He first saw Simon his brother, and said to him: We have found the Messiah.
42 Then he took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked intently at him, and then said, “You are Simon. Your father’s name is John. You will be given {[I] will give you} the name Cephas.” [Cephas is an Aramaic name that means ‘solid rock’. It] means [the same in Greek as the name] Peter.
And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looked upon him, and said Thou art Simon the son of Jona; thou shalt be called Cephas.
43 The next day [Jesus] decided to leave [the Jordan River valley]. He went to Galilee [district] and (OR, on the way there he) found a man named Philip. Jesus said to him, “Come with me!”
The next day, Jesus was disposed to depart for Galilee: and he found Philip and said to him, Come after me.
44 Philip and Andrew and Peter were all from Bethsaida [town].
And Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Simon.
45 Then Philip [searched for] Nathaniel and found him, and said to him, “We have met [the Messiah], the one Moses [wrote about]! The prophets also [prophesied that he would come]. He is Jesus, from Nazareth [town]. His father’s name is Joseph.”
And Philip found Nathaniel, and said to him: We have found him, of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets, Jesus the son of Joseph, who is of Nazareth.
46 Nathaniel replied, “Nazareth? (Nothing good can come from [such an unimportant place]!/Can anything good come from [such an unimportant place]?) [RHQ]” Philip replied, “Come and see!”
Nathaniel said to him: Can there be any good thing from Nazareth? Philip said to him: Come, and see.
47 When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said about Nathaniel, “Here is an example of a good Israelite! He never deceives anyone!”
And Jesus saw Nathaniel coming towards him, and said of him: Behold a real Israelite, in whom is no deceit.
48 Nathaniel asked him, “How do you know what I [am like]?” Jesus replied, “I saw you before Philip called you, when you were [by yourself] under the fig tree.”
Nathaniel said to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus said to him: Before Philip called thee when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee.
49 Then Nathaniel declared, “Teacher, you [must be] (the Son of God/the person who is both God and man)! You are the King of Israel [we have been waiting for]!”
Nathaniel answered, and said to him: Rabbi; thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
50 Jesus replied to him, “You [RHQ] believe [those things about me] because I told you I saw you when you were under the fig tree. [I was able to see you supernaturally even though I was far away from you]. But you will see [me do] things that are more surprising than that!”
Jesus said to him: Because I said to thee, that I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? Thou wilt see greater things than these.
51 Then Jesus said to him, “This is the absolute truth: [Just like what your ancestor Jacob saw long ago in a vision], some day you [(pl)] will see heaven opened up, and you will see God’s angels ascending from me and descending on me, the one who came from heaven.”
He said to him: Verily, verily, I say to you, That hereafter ye will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending unto the Son of man.
