John 1
The Eternal Word
In the beginning awas the Word, and the bWord was cwith God, and the Word was dGod. 2 aHe was in the beginning with God. 3 aAll things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 aIn Him was life, and bthe life was the light of men. 5 And athe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John’s Witness: The True Light
6 There was a aman sent from God, whose name was John. 7 This man came for a awitness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might bbelieve. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that aLight. 9 aThat was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and athe world did not know Him. 11 aHe came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But aas many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 awho were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
The Word Becomes Flesh
14 aAnd the Word bbecame cflesh and dwelt among us, and dwe beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, efull of grace and truth.
15 aJohn bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, b‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, cfor He was before me.’ ”
16 And of His afullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For athe law was given through Moses, but bgrace and ctruth came through Jesus Christ. 18 aNo one has seen God at any time. bThe only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
A Voice in the Wilderness
19 Now this is athe testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 aHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you athe Prophet?”
And he answered, “No.”
22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said: a“I am
b‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’
as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, a“I baptize with water, bbut there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 aIt is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
28 These things were done ain Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! aThe Lamb of God bwho takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, atherefore I came baptizing with water.”
32 aAnd John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, athis is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the aSon of God.”
The First Disciples
35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, a“Behold the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they afollowed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”
They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was aAndrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.
Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. aYou shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, A Stone).
Philip and Nathanael
43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found aPhilip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now aPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found aNathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom bMoses in the law, and also the cprophets, wrote—Jesus dof Nazareth, the eson of Joseph.”
46 And Nathanael said to him, a“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, aan Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, aYou are the Son of God! You are bthe King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ahereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson.
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