John 1

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.2 He was with God in the beginning.

3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men.5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understoodtit.

6 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.t

10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognise him.11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-13 children born not of natural descent,t nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,t who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me."'16 From the fulness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.18 No-one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,t,t who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

John the Baptist Denies Being theChrist

19 Now this was John's testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ."t

21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?"
He said, "I am not."
"Are you the Prophet?"
He answered,"No."

22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.'t"

24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptise if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26 "I baptise witht water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know.27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptising.

Jesus the Lamb of God

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!30 This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptising with water was that he might be revealed to Israel."

32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him.33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.'34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God."

Jesus' First Disciples

35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.38 Turning round, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"

39 "Come," he replied, "and you will see."
So they went and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ).42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Petert).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Followme."

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked.
"Come and see," said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

48 "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig-tree before Philip called you."

49 Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

50 Jesus said, "You believet because I told you I saw you under the fig-tree. You shall see greater things than that."51 He then added, "I tell yout the truth, yout shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

JOHN 1

The Word of Life

1 In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.

2 From the very beginning
the Word was with God.

3 And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created

4 received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.

5 The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.t

6  t God sent a man named John,

7 who came to tell
about the light
and to lead all people
to have faith.

8 John wasn't this light.
He came only to tell
about the light.

9 The true light that shines
on everyone
was coming into the world.

10 The Word was in the world,
but no one knew him,
though God had made the world
with his Word.

11 He came into his own world,
but his own nation
did not welcome him.

12 Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.

13 They were not God's children
by nature or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children.

14 The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.
From him the complete gifts
of undeserved grace and truth
have come down to us.

15 John spoke about him and shouted, “This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.”
16 Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another.t 17 The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth.

18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.

John the Baptist Tells //about Jesus

(Matthew 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.15-17)

21 t Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet, t he also said “No!”

22 Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”

23  t John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’ ”
24 Some Pharisees had also been sent to John.

25 They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
26 John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know. 27 Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.”

28 John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.t

The Lamb of God

29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come, who is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.”

31 I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.
32 I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. 33 Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.”

34 I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.

The First Disciples of Jesus

37 John's two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?”
They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”

39 Jesus replied, “Come and see!” It was already about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.
40 One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.

41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” The Hebrew word “Messiah” means the same as the Greek word “Christ.”

42 Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas.” This name can be translated as “Peter.”t

Jesus Chooses Philip //and Nathanael

43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, “Follow me.”

45 Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophetst wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

46 Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.”

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful.”t

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

49 Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51 t I tell you for certain you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”t