¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you^[a] a sign:^(A) The virgin^[b](B) will conceive and give birth to a son,^(C) and^[c] will call him Immanuel.^[d](D)

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^[b](B)

The Word Became Flesh

1 In the beginning was the Word,^(A) and the Word was with God,^(B) and the Word was God.^{(C) 2} He was with God in the beginning.^{(D) 3} Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.^{(E) 4} In him was life,^(F) and that life was the light^(G) of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness,^(H) and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it.^(I)

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John.^{(J) 7} He came as a witness to testify^(K) concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.^{(L) 8} He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

⁹ The true light^(M) that gives light to everyone^(N) was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,^(O) the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.^{(P) 12} Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^(Q) in his name,^(R) he gave the right to become children of God^(S)— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^(T)

¹⁴ The Word became flesh^(U) and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,^(V) the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace^(W) and truth.^(X)

¹⁵ (John testified^(Y) concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)^{(Z) 16} Out of his fullness^(AA) we have all received grace^(AB) in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses;^(AC) grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.^{(AD) 18} No one has ever seen God,^(AE) but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[b](AF) is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

³ regarding his Son, who as to his earthly life^[a](A) was a descendant of David,^{(B) 4} and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power^[b](C) by his resurrection from the dead:^(D) Jesus Christ our Lord.^(E)

²² And God placed all things under his feet^(A) and appointed him to be head^(B) over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body,^(C) the fullness of him^(D) who fills everything in every way.^(E)

¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(A) and brought us into the kingdom^(B) of the Son he loves,^{(C) 14} in whom we have redemption,^(D) the forgiveness of sins.^(E)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵ The Son is the image^(F) of the invisible God,^(G) the firstborn^(H) over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created:^(I) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;^(J) all things have been created through him and for him.^{(K) 17} He is before all things,^(L) and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head^(M) of the body, the church;^(N) he is the beginning and the firstborn^(O) from among the dead,^(P) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased^(Q) to have all his fullness^(R) dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile^(S) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,^(T) by making peace^(U) through his blood,^(V) shed on the cross.

²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies^(W) in your minds^(X) because of^[a] your evil behavior. ²² But now he has reconciled^(Y) you by Christ’s physical body^(Z) through death to present you^(AA) holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation^(AB)—

God’s Final Word: His Son

1 In the past God spoke^(A) to our ancestors through the prophets^(B) at many times and in various ways,^{(C) 2} but in these last days^(D) he has spoken to us by his Son,^(E) whom he appointed heir^(F) of all things, and through whom^(G) also he made the universe.^{(H) 3} The Son is the radiance of God’s glory^(I) and the exact representation of his being,^(J) sustaining all things^(K) by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins,^(L) he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.^(M)