John

John 1

In the Beginning Was the Word

1 In the beginning was the Word,

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

2 This one was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came to be through him,

and apart from him not one thing came to be.

That which has come to be —

4 in him was life,

and the life was the light of humanity.

5 And the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness did not overtake it.

6 There came a man sent from God, his name John. 7 This man came for a testimony, so that he might testify about the light, so that all might trust through him. 8 He was not the light, but he came so that he might testify about the light.

9 The true light, which gives light to every person,

was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world,

and the world came to be through him,

and the world did not know him.

11 He came to his own,

and his own did not receive him.

12 But as many as received him,

to them he gave authority to become children of God,

to those who trust in his name —

13 who were born not out of blood,

nor out of the will of flesh,

nor out of the will of a man,

but out of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and made his tent among us,

and we looked upon his glory,

glory as of an only son from a father,

full of favor and truth.

15 (John testifies about him and has cried out, saying, “This was the one I spoke of: ‘The one coming after me has come to be ahead of me, because he was before me.’”)

16 For out of his fullness we have all received,

and favor in place of favor;

17 because the law was given through Moses,

favor and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever yet seen God;

the only God, the one who is in the Father’s arms,

that one has made him known.

The Testimony of John

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “You — who are you?” 20 And he acknowledged and did not deny, and he acknowledged, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he says, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? — so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord — as Isaiah the prophet said.”

24 And they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him and said to him, “Why then do you immerse, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I immerse in water. In the midst of you stands one you do not know, 27 the one coming after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.” 28 These things happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was immersing.

Look, the Lamb of God

29 The next day he sees Jesus coming toward him, and he says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30 This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who has come to be ahead of me, because he was before me.’ 31 And I did not know him; but so that he might be made known to Israel, for this I came immersing in water.”

32 And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit coming down like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him. 33 And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to immerse in water, that one said to me, ‘On whomever you see the Spirit coming down and remaining on him, this is the one who immerses in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen, and I have testified that this one is the Chosen One of God.”

The First Disciples

35 The next day John was standing there again, and two of his disciples, 36 and looking at Jesus as he walked, he says, “Look, the Lamb of God.” 37 And the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus, turning and seeing them following, says to them, “What are you looking for?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher — “where are you remaining?” 39 He says to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was remaining, and they remained with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard from John and had followed him. 41 This man first finds his own brother Simon and says to him, “We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ. 42 He brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.

43 The next day he wanted to go out into Galilee, and he finds Philip. And Jesus says to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, from the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, “The one Moses wrote of in the law, and the prophets also — we have found him: Jesus son of Joseph, the one from Nazareth.” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip says to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and says about him, “Look, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” 48 Nathanael says to him, “Where do you know me from?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” 50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you underneath the fig tree, do you trust? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he says to him, “Amen, amen, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the messengers of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”