John 1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;
In the beginning the Word already was. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 this one was in the beginning with God;
In the beginning he was with God.
3 all things through him did happen, and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened.
Everything came into being through him; nothing came into being without him.
4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men,
In him was life, the life that was the light of everyone.
5 and the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not extinguished it.
6 There came a man — having been sent from God — whose name [is] John,
God sent a man named John.
7 this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him;
He came as a witness to explain about the light so that everyone might believe through him.
8 that one was not the Light, but — that he might testify about the Light.
He himself was not the light, but he came to witness to the light.
9 He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world;
The true light was coming into the world to give light to everyone.
10 in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him:
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world didn't know who he was.
11 to his own things he came, and his own people did not receive him;
He came to his own people, but they didn't accept him.
12 but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God — to those believing in his name,
But to all those who accepted him and trusted in him, he gave the right to become God's children.
13 who — not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but — of God were begotten.
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.
14 And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.
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.
15 John doth testify concerning him, and hath cried, saying, 'This was he of whom I said, He who after me is coming, hath come before me, for he was before me;'
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.’”
16 and out of his fulness did we all receive, and grace over-against grace;
We have all been recipients of his generous nature, one gracious gift after another.
17 for the law through Moses was given, the grace and the truth through Jesus Christ did come;
The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 God no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father — he did declare.
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.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent out of Jerusalem priests and Levites, that they might question him, 'Who art thou?'
This is what John publicly stated when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 and he confessed and did not deny, and confessed — 'I am not the Christ.'
John declared plainly and clearly without hesitation, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 And they questioned him, 'What then? Elijah art thou?' and he saith, 'I am not.' — 'The prophet art thou?' and he answered, 'No.'
“So then, who are you?” they asked. “Elijah?” “No, I'm not,” he answered. “Are you the Prophet?” “No,” he replied.
22 They said then to him, 'Who art thou, that we may give an answer to those sending us? what dost thou say concerning thyself?'
“Well, who are you, then?” they asked. “We have to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said, 'I [am] a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.'
“I am a voice calling in the desert, ‘Make the Lord's way straight!’” he said, using the words of the prophet Isaiah.
24 And those sent were of the Pharisees,
The priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees
25 and they questioned him and said to him, 'Why, then, dost thou baptize, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?'
asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you're not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, 'I baptize with water, but in midst of you he hath stood whom ye have not known, this one it is who is coming after me, who hath been before me,
John replied, “I baptize with water, but standing among you is someone you don't know.
27 of whom I am not worthy that I may loose the cord of his sandal.'
He is coming after me, but I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.”
28 These things came to pass in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing,
This all happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 on the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, 'Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;
The next day John saw Jesus approaching him, and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 this is he concerning whom I said, After me doth come a man, who hath come before me, because he was before me:
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.’
31 and I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing.
I didn't know myself who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”
32 And John testified, saying — 'I have seen the Spirit coming down, as a dove, out of heaven, and it remained on him;
John gave his evidence about him, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon him.
33 and I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, He said to me, On whomsoever thou mayest see the Spirit coming down, and remaining on him, this is he who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit;
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.’
34 and I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.'
I saw it happen and I declare that this is the Son of God.”
35 On the morrow, again, John was standing, and two of his disciples,
The next day John was standing there with two of his disciples.
36 and having looked on Jesus walking, he saith, 'Lo, the Lamb of God;'
He saw Jesus passing by, and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God!”
37 and the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus.
When the two disciples heard what he said they went and followed Jesus.
38 And Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, saith to them, 'What seek ye?' and they said to them, 'Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Teacher, ) where remainest thou?'
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.
39 He saith to them, 'Come and see;' they came, and saw where he doth remain, and with him they remained that day and the hour was about the tenth.
“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.
40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard from John, and followed him;
Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of these two disciples who had heard what John said and followed Jesus.
41 this one doth first find his own brother Simon, and saith to him, 'We have found the Messiah,' (which is, being interpreted, The Anointed, )
He went at once to find his brother Simon and told him, “We've found the Messiah!” (which means “Christ”).
42 and he brought him unto Jesus: and having looked upon him, Jesus saith, 'Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas, thou shalt be called Cephas,' (which is interpreted, A rock.)
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”).
43 On the morrow, he willed to go forth to Galilee, and he findeth Philip, and saith to him, 'Be following me.'
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip there, and told him, “Follow me.”
44 And Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter;
Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town that Andrew and Peter came from.
45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him, 'Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets, we have found, Jesus the son of Joseph, who [is] from Nazareth;'
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.”
46 and Nathanael said to him, 'Out of Nazareth is any good thing able to be?' Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'
“From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael wondered. “Just come and see,” Philip replied.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming unto him, and he saith concerning him, 'Lo, truly an Israelite, in whom guile is not;'
As Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said about him, “Look, here's a true Israelite! There's nothing false about him.”
48 Nathanael saith to him, 'Whence me dost thou know?' Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip's calling thee — thou being under the fig-tree — I saw thee.'
“How do you know who I am?” Nathanael asked. “I saw you there under the fig tree, before Philip called you,” Jesus replied.
49 Nathanael answered and saith to him, 'Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel.'
“Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the king of Israel!” Nathaniel exclaimed.
50 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou dost believe; greater things than these thou shalt see;'
“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!”
51 and he saith to him, 'Verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened, and the messengers of God going up and coming down upon the Son of Man.'
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.”
