JOHANNES 1

Die Woord het mens geword

1 In die begin was die Woord daar, en die Woord was by God, en die Woord was self God. 2 Hy was reeds in die begin by God. 3 Alles het deur Hom tot stand gekom: ja, nie 'n enkele ding wat bestaan, het sonder Hom tot stand gekom nie. 4 In Hom was daar lewe, en dié lewe was die lig vir die mense. 5 Die lig skyn in die duisternis, die duisternis kon dit nie uitdoof nie.

6 Daar was 'n man wat deur God gestuur is. Sy naam was Johannes. 7 Hy het gekom om te getuig; hy moes getuig van die lig, sodat almal deur hom tot geloof kon kom. 8 Hy was self nie die lig nie, maar hy moes van die lig getuig.

9 Die ware lig wat elke mens verlig, was aan kom na die wêreld toe. 10 Hy wás in die wêreld — die wêreld het deur Hom tot stand gekom — en tog het die wêreld Hom nie erken nie. 11 Hy het na sy eiendom toe gekom, en tog het sy eie mense Hom nie aangeneem nie. 12 Maar aan almal wat Hom aangeneem het, dié wat in Hom glo, het Hy die reg gegee om kinders van God te word. 13 Hulle is dit nie van nature nie, nie deur die drang van 'n mens of die besluit van 'n man nie, maar hulle is uit God gebore.

14 Die Woord het mens geword en onder ons kom woon. Ons het sy heerlikheid gesien, die heerlikheid wat Hy as die enigste Seun van die Vader het, vol genade en waarheid.

15 Johannes getuig van Hom en roep uit: “Dit is Hy wat ek bedoel het toe ek gesê het: Hy wat ná my kom, is my vóór, want Hy was voor my reeds daar.”

16 Uit sy oorvloed het ons almal genade op genade ontvang. 17 God het die wet deur Moses gegee; die genade en die waarheid het deur Jesus Christus gekom. 18 Niemand het God ooit gesien nie. Sy enigste Seun, self God, wat die naaste aan die Vader is, dié het Hom bekend gemaak.

Die getuienis van Johannes die Doper

(Matt. 3:1-12; Mark. 1:2-8; Luk. 3:15-17)

19 Die Jode het priesters en Leviete van Jerusalem af na Johannes toe gestuur om hom te vra: “Wie is jy?” Toe het hy hierdie getuienis afgelê

20 en dit duidelik en ondubbelsinnig gestel en openlik verklaar: “Ek is nie die Christus nie.”

21 Hulle vra hom toe: “Wie is jy dan? Is jy Elia?” “Nee, ek is nie,” sê hy. “Is jy dan die Profeet?” “Nee!” het hy geantwoord.

22 “Nou maar wie is jy dan? Ons moet 'n antwoord gaan gee aan dié wat ons gestuur het,” sê hulle vir hom. “Wat het jy oor jouself te sê?”

23 Hy antwoord toe: “Ek is die een wat in die woestyn roep: Maak die pad vir die Here reguit.”t Dit is soos die profeet Jesaja gesê het.

24 Daar was Fariseërs onder dié wat gestuur is, 25 en hulle het vir hom gevra: “Nou maar waarom doop jy dan as jy nie die Christus is nie en ook nie Elia nie en ook nie die Profeet nie?”

26 Johannes het hulle geantwoord: “Ek doop met water, maar tussen julle staan daar Iemand vir wie julle nie ken nie. 27 Dit is Hy wat ná my kom, wie se skoene ek nie werd is om los te maak nie.”

28 Dit het oorkant die Jordaan in Betanië gebeur, waar Johannes besig was om te doop.

Die Lam van God

29 Die volgende dag sien Johannes vir Jesus na hom toe kom. Hy sê toe: “Dáár is die Lam van God wat die sonde van die wêreld wegneem! 30 Dit is Hy wat ek bedoel het toe ek gesê het: ‘Ná my kom daar 'n Man wat my vóór is, want Hy was voor my reeds daar.’ 31 Ek het self ook nie geweet wie Hy is nie, maar ek het gekom en ek doop met water sodat Hy aan Israel bekend gestel kan word.”

32 Verder het Johannes getuig: “Ek het duidelik die Gees soos 'n duif uit die hemel sien kom, en Hy het op Hom gebly. 33 Ek het self ook nie geweet wie Hy is nie, maar God wat my gestuur het om met water te doop, het vir my gesê: ‘Die Een op wie jy die Gees sien kom en bly, dit is Hy wat met die Heilige Gees doop.’ 34 Ek het dit self gesien en daarom getuig ek: Hy is die Seun van God.”

Die eerste dissipels

35 Die volgende dag het Johannes weer daar gestaan, met twee van sy volgelinge by hom. 36 Toe Jesus verbyloop, het Johannes stip na Hom gekyk en gesê: “Dáár is die Lam van God!”

37 Die twee het hom dit hoor sê en hulle het Jesus gevolg. 38 Toe Jesus omkyk en sien dat hulle Hom volg, vra Hy vir hulle: “Wat soek julle?” en hulle het Hom geantwoord: “Rabbi” — dit beteken leermeester — “waar gaan U tuis?”

39 Hy sê toe vir hulle: “Kom saam, dan sal julle sien.” Hulle het toe gegaan en gesien waar Hy tuis gaan. Dit was omtrent vieruur die middag, en hulle het die res van die dag by Hom gebly.

40 Andreas, die broer van Simon Petrus, was een van die twee wat dit van Johannes gehoor en Jesus gevolg het. 41 Daarna het hy eers sy broer Simon gaan soek en vir hom gesê: “Ons het die Messias gekry!” Messias beteken Christus.

42 Hy het hom na Jesus toe gebring. Jesus het stip na hom gekyk en gesê: “Jy is Simon seun van Johannes; jy sal Sefas genoem word.” Sefas beteken dieselfde as Petrus.

Filippus en Natanael

43 Die volgende dag het Jesus besluit om na Galilea toe te gaan. Hy kry toe vir Filippus en sê vir hom: “Volg My!”

44 Filippus was van Betsaida afkomstig, van dieselfde dorp as Andreas en Petrus.

45 Filippus kry toe vir Natanael en sê vir hom: “Ons het Hom gekry van wie Moses in die wet geskrywe het en van wie die profete ook geskrywe het. Dit is Jesus van Nasaret, die seun van Josef.”

46 Maar Natanael sê vir hom: “Kan daar uit Nasaret iets goeds kom?” “Kom kyk,” het Filippus hom geantwoord.

47 Toe Jesus vir Natanael na Hom toe sien aankom, sê Hy van hom: “Hier is 'n ware Israeliet, 'n man in wie daar geen bedrog is nie.”

48 Natanael vra Hom toe: “Waarvandaan ken U my?” “Voordat Filippus jou geroep het,” antwoord Jesus hom, “toe jy nog onder die vyeboom was, het Ek jou al gesien.”

49 Toe roep Natanael uit: “Rabbi, U is die Seun van God; U is die Koning van Israel!”

50 Daarop sê Jesus vir hom: “Glo jy omdat Ek vir jou gesê het dat Ek jou onder die vyeboom gesien het? Jy sal nog groter dinge as dit sien.”

51 Verder sê Jesus vir hom: “Dit verseker Ek julle: Julle sal die hemel oop sien en julle sal die engele van God sien op- en afklim na die Seun van die mens toe.”

John 1

1  IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. 2  He was present originally with God.3  All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.4  In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.5  And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].6  There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7  This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it [adhere to it, trust it, and rely upon it] through him.8  He was not the Light himself, but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light.9  There it was--the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. 10  He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].11  He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own--His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.12  But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--13  Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]14  And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. 15  John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]16  For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.17  For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18  No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son , or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. 19  And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?20  He confessed (admitted the truth) and did not try to conceal it, but acknowledged, I am not the Christ!21  They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not! Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No! 22  Then they said to him, Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?23  He said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord], as the prophet Isaiah said. 24  The messengers had been sent from the Pharisees.25  And they asked him, Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?26  John answered them, I [only] baptize in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing. 27  It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose.28  These things occurred in Bethany (Bethabara) across the Jordan [at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing.29  The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! 30  This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did.31  And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing in (with) water.32  John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart].33  And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.34  And I have seen [that happen--I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!35  Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,36  And he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God!37  The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him.38  But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them, What are you looking for? [And what is it you wish?] And they answered Him, Rabbi--which translated is Teacher--where are You staying?39  He said to them, Come and see. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o’clock in the afternoon).40  One of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.41  He first sought out and found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found (discovered) the Messiah!--which translated is the Christ (the Anointed One).42  Andrew then led (brought) Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas--which translated is Peter [Stone].43  The next day Jesus desired and decided to go into Galilee; and He found Philip and said to him, Join Me as My attendant and follow Me.44  Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the same city as Andrew and Peter.45  Philip sought and found Nathanael and told him, We have found (discovered) the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about--Jesus from Nazareth, the [legal] son of Joseph!46  Nathanael answered him, [Nazareth!] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see!47  Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity!48  Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.49  Nathanael answered, Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!50  Jesus replied, Because I said to you, I saw you beneath the fig tree, do you believe in and rely on and trust in Me? You shall see greater things than this!51  Then He said to him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you all, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man!