John 1
1 In the bigynnyng was the word, and the word was at God, and God was the word.
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.
2 This was in the bigynnyng at God.
He always existed with God [before] he began [MTY] [to create anything].
3 Alle thingis weren maad bi hym, and withouten hym was maad no thing, that thing that was maad.
He is the one by whom [God] caused everything to exist. He is the one who created absolutely everything [LIT].
4 In hym was lijf, and the lijf was the liyt of men; and the liyt schyneth in derknessis,
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].
5 and derknessis comprehendiden not it.
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.)
6 A man was sent fro God, to whom the name was Joon.
A man whose name was John was sent by God {God sent a man whose name was John}.
7 This man cam in to witnessyng, that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt, that alle men schulden bileue bi hym.
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].
8 He was not the liyt, but that he schulde bere witnessing of the liyt.
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.
9 There was a very liyt, which liytneth ech man that cometh in to this world.
[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].
10 He was in the world, and the world was maad bi hym, and the world knew hym not.
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.)
11 He cam in to his owne thingis, and hise resseyueden hym not.
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).
12 But hou many euer resseyueden hym, he yaf to hem power to be maad the sones of God, to hem that bileueden in his name; the whiche not of bloodis,
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].
13 nether of the wille of fleische, nether of the wille of man, but ben borun of God.
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.
14 And the word was maad man, and dwellyde among vs, and we han seyn the glorie of hym, as the glorie of the `oon bigetun sone of the fadir, ful of grace and of treuthe.
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].
15 Joon berith witnessyng of hym, and crieth, and seith, This is, whom Y seide, He that schal come aftir me, is maad bifore me, for he was tofor me;
[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]!”
16 and of the plente of hym we alle han takun, and grace for grace.
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.
17 For the lawe was youun bi Moises; but grace and treuthe `is maad bi Jhesu Crist.
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].
18 No man sai euer God, no but the `oon bigetun sone, that is in the bosum of the fadir, he hath teld out.
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.
19 And this is the witnessyng of Joon, whanne Jewis senten fro Jerusalem prestis and dekenes to hym, that thei schulden axe hym, Who art thou?
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?”
20 He knoulechide, and denyede not, and he knoulechide, For Y am not Crist.
So John told them the truth, and he told them clearly [DOU]. He said, “[I] am not (the Messiah/God’s chosen king)!”
21 And thei axiden hym, What thanne? Art thou Elie? And he seide, Y am not. Art thou a profete? And he answeride, Nay.
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.”
22 Therfor thei seiden to hym, Who art thou? that we yyue an answere to these that senten vs. What seist thou of thi silf?
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?”
23 He seide, Y am a vois of a crier in deseert, Dresse ye the weie of the Lord, as Ysaie, the prophete, seide.
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].
24 And thei that weren sent, weren of the Fariseis.
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}.
25 And thei axiden hym, and seiden to hym, What thanne baptisist thou, if thou art not Crist, nether Elie, nether a profete?
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]?”
26 Joon answeride to hem, and seide, Y baptise in watir, but in the myddil of you hath stonde oon, that ye knowen not;
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.
27 he it is, that schal come aftir me, that was maad bifor me, of whom Y am not worthi to louse the thwong of his schoo.
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.”
28 These thingis weren don in Bethanye biyende Jordan, where Joon was baptisyng.
Those things happened at [a place called] Bethany, on the [east] side of the Jordan [River], where John was baptizing people.
29 Anothir day Joon say Jhesu comynge to hym, and he seide, Lo! the lomb of God; lo! he that doith awei the synnes of the world.
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.
30 This is he, that Y seide of, Aftir me is comun a man, which was maad bifor me; for he was rather than Y.
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.’
31 And Y knew hym not, but that he be schewid in Israel, therfor Y cam baptisynge in watir.
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.”
32 And Joon bar witnessyng, and seide, That Y saiy the spirit comynge doun as a culuer fro heuene, and dwellide on hym.
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.
33 And Y knew hym not; but he that sente me to baptise in watir, seide to me, On whom thou seest the Spirit comynge doun, and dwellynge on hym, this is he, that baptisith in the Hooli Goost.
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].’
34 And Y say, and bar witnessyng, that this is the sone of God.
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).”
35 Anothir dai Joon stood, and tweyne of hise disciplis;
The next day John was at the same place again (with two of us/with two of his disciples).
36 and he biheeld Jhesu walkinge, and seith, Lo! the lomb of God.
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!]”
37 And twei disciplis herden hym spekynge,
(When we/those two disciples) heard John say this, we/they went with Jesus.
38 and folewiden Jhesu. And Jhesu turnede, and say hem suynge hym, and seith to hem, What seken ye? And thei seiden to hym, Rabi, that is to seie, Maistir, where dwellist thou?
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].”
39 And he seith to hem, Come ye, and se. And thei camen, and sayn where he dwellide; and dwelten with hym that dai. And it was as the tenthe our.
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).
40 And Andrewe, the brother of Symount Petir, was oon of the tweyne, that herden of Joon, and hadden sued hym.
(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.
41 This foond first his brother Symount, and he seide to him, We han foundun Messias, that is to seie, Crist; and he ledde him to Jhesu.
[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!”
42 And Jhesus bihelde hym, and seide, Thou art Symount, the sone of Johanna; thou schalt be clepid Cefas, that is to seie, Petre.
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.
43 And on the morewe he wolde go out in to Galilee, and he foond Filip; and he seith to hym, Sue thou me.
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!”
44 Filip was of Bethsaida, the citee of Andrew and of Petre.
Philip and Andrew and Peter were all from Bethsaida [town].
45 Filip foond Nathanael, and seide to hym, We han foundun Jhesu, the sone of Joseph, of Nazareth, whom Moyses wroot in the lawe and profetis.
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.”
46 And Nathanael seide to hym, Of Nazareth may sum good thing be?
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!”
47 Filip seide to hym, Come, and se. Jhesus siy Nathanael comynge to hym, and seide to hym, Lo! verili a man of Israel, in whom is no gile.
When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said about Nathaniel, “Here is an example of a good Israelite! He never deceives anyone!”
48 Nathanael seide to hym, Wherof hast thou knowun me? Jhesus `answerde, and seide to hym, Bifor that Filip clepide thee, whanne thou were vndur the fige tree, Y saiy thee. Nathanael answerde to hym,
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.”
49 `and seide, Rabi, thou art the sone of God, thou art kyng of Israel.
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]!”
50 Jhesus answerde, and seide to hym, For Y seide to thee, Y sawy thee vndur the fige tre, thou bileuest; thou schalt se more than these thingis.
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!”
51 And he seide to hem, Treuli, treuli, Y seie to you, ye schulen se heuene opened, and the aungels of God stiynge vp and comynge doun on mannys sone.
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.”
