John 1
Worldwide English (New Testament)
1 The Word already was, way back before anything began to be. The Word and God were together. The Word was God.
2 Before anything began to be, the Word was there with God.
3 God made everything by the Word. Nothing has been made without him.
4 Life was in the Word. That life was Light for people.
5 The Light shone where it was dark and the darkness did not stop the Light from shining.
6 God sent a man named John.
7 He came to talk about the Light, so that all people might believe in the Light by what he said.
8 He himself was not that Light, but he was sent to talk about the Light.
9 The true Light which gives light to every person who comes into the world.
10 He, the Word, was in the world. Yes, he even made the world. And yet the world did not know him.
11 He came into the world that was his own, but his own people did not receive him.
12 But there were people who did believe in his name. They did receive him. He gave all those who received him and believed him the right to become children of God.
13 They were born into God's family by God. That is, they were not born into his family in the way a person is born into this world. It was not by any person's will.
14 The Word became man and he lived among us. We saw with our own eyes that he is great. He is great the way God the Father made his only Son great. We saw that he is full of loving kindness and truth.
15 John talked about him. He called out saying, `Here is the man I told you about. I said that the one who is coming after me is greater than I am, because he lived before I lived.'
16 He was full of loving kindness, and we have all received so much kindness from him.
17 Moses gave the law, but Jesus Christ gave this loving kindness and truth.
18 No one has ever seen God. But his only Son is very near to his Father's heart. He has told us plainly about God.
19 The leaders of the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem. They asked John, `Who are you?' John told them.
20 He did not hide the truth, but he told people plainly. He said, `I am not the Christ.'
21 So they asked him, `Well then, are you Elijah?' He answered, `No, I am not.' They asked, `Are you the Prophet?' He answered, `No.'
22 Then those priests said, `Who are you? We want to give an answer to the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?'
23 John said, `I am a voice calling in the desert, "Make the road straight for the Lord." This is what was said by Isaiah, the prophet of God long ago.'
24 It was the Pharisees who had sent these people to John.
25 So they asked him, `If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why then are you baptizing?'
26 John answered, `I baptize people in water. But there is a man standing among you whom you do not know.
27 He is the one coming after me who is greater than I am. I am not even good enough to untie his shoe strings.'
28 The place where John was baptizing was Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him. `Look,' said John. `See God's special Lamb! He takes away the wrong ways of the world.
30 Here is the man I told you about. I said that the one who is coming after me is greater than I am, because he lived before I lived.
31 I myself did not know who he was. But I came and baptized people in water so that the people of Israel would know who he was.'
32 John also said, `I saw the Spirit coming from the sky. He came down on him like a dove. It stayed on him.
33 I myself did not know who he was. But he who sent me to baptize people in water told me. He said, "You will see the Spirit coming from the sky on a man. That man will baptize people in the Holy Spirit."
34 I saw the Spirit coming on him, and I have told you. This man is the Son of God.'
35 The next day, John was standing with two of his followers.
36 Jesus walked by. When John saw him, he said, `Look, see God's Lamb!'
37 The two followers heard what John said, so they went after Jesus.
38 Jesus turned. He saw them coming after him. He said to them, `What are you looking for?' They said, `Teacher, where do you live?'
39 Jesus said, `Come and see.' They went and saw the place where Jesus was staying. The time was about four o'clock in the afternoon. They stayed with Jesus the rest of the day.
40 Andrew was one of those two followers of John who heard John speak and went after Jesus. He was Simon Peter's brother.
41 The first thing Andrew did then was to find his brother Simon. He said, `We have found the Messiah!' (Messiah means the Christ, the messenger of God.)
42 Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, `You are Simon, the son of John. Your name will be Cephas.' (Cephas means Peter, a rock or stone.)
43 The next day Jesus said, `I will go to Galilee.' He found Philip and said to him, `Come with me.'
44 Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. Andrew and Peter were also from that town.
45 Philip went to find Nathanael. He said `We have found the man about whom Moses wrote in the books of the law. The prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus, from Nazareth. He is the son of Joseph.'
46 Nathanael said, `From Nazareth? Can any good thing come from there?' Philip said, `Come and see for yourself.'
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him. He said, `Here is a man who is truly of Israel. He does not fool people.'
48 Nathanael asked, `How do you know me?' Jesus answered, `I saw you when you were under the fig tree. That was before Philip called you.'
49 Nathanael said, `Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.'
50 Jesus answered, `I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. Is that why you believe in me now? You will see more wonderful things than that!
51 I tell you the truth,' said Jesus. `You will see heaven open. You will see God's angels going up and down to the Son of Man.'
John 1
Christian Standard Bible
Prologue
1 In the beginning(A) was the Word,(B) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.(C) 2 He was with God in the beginning.(D) 3 All things were created(E) through him,(F) and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,[a](G) and that life was the light(H) of men. 5 That light shines(I) in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome[b] it.(J)
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.(K) 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.[c] 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify(L) about the light. 9 The true light(M) that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.[d](N)
10 He was in the world, and the world was created(O) through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive(P) him,(Q) he gave them the right(R) to be[e] children(S) of God,(T) to those who believe(U) in his name,(V) 13 who were born,(W) not of natural descent,[f] or of the will(X) of the flesh,(Y) or of the will of man,[g] but of God.(Z)
14 The Word(AA) became flesh(AB) and dwelt[h] among us. We observed his glory,(AC) the glory as the one and only(AD) Son[i] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me(AE) ranks ahead of me,(AF) because he existed before me.’”)(AG) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace(AH) upon[j] grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses;(AI) grace and truth(AJ) came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only(AK) Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s(AL) side[k]—he has revealed him.(AM)
John the Baptist’s Testimony
19 This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem(AN) sent priests(AO) and Levites(AP) to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”(AQ)
21 “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” (AR)
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the Prophet?” (AS)
“No,” he answered.
22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord[l](AT)—just as Isaiah(AU) the prophet said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.(AV) 25 So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with[m] water,”(AW) John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. 27 He is the one coming after me,[n](AX) whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 All this happened in Bethany[o] across the Jordan,(AY) where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,(AZ) who takes away the sin(BA) of the world! 30 This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31 I didn’t know him,(BB) but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed(BC) to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit(BD) descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him.(BE) 33 I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’(BF) 34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”[p](BG)
35 The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi”(BH) (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come and you’ll see,” he replied. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.[q]
40 Andrew,(BI) Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”[r](BJ) (which is translated “the Christ”),(BK) 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John.[s] You will be called Cephas”(BL) (which is translated “Peter”[t]).
Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus[u] decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip(BM) and told him, “Follow me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida,(BN) the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael(BO) and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets(BP)): Jesus the son of Joseph,(BQ) from Nazareth.”(BR)
46 “Can anything good(BS) come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.
“Come and see,” Philip answered.
47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite(BT) in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.
49 “Rabbi,”(BU) Nathanael replied, “You are the Son(BV) of God; you are the King of Israel!” (BW)
50 Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51 Then he said, “Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God(BX) ascending and descending(BY) on the Son of Man.”(BZ)
Footnotes
- 1:3–4 Other punctuation is possible:... not one thing was created. What was created in him was life
- 1:5 Or grasp, or comprehend, or overtake; Jn 12:35
- 1:7 Or it (the light)
- 1:9 Or The true light who comes into the world gives light to everyone, or The true light enlightens everyone coming into the world.
- 1:12 Or become
- 1:13 Lit blood
- 1:13 Or not of human lineage, or of human capacity, or of human volition
- 1:14 Or and dwelt in a tent; lit and tabernacled
- 1:14 Son is implied from the reference to the Father and from Gk usage.
- 1:16 Or in place of
- 1:18 Other mss read The one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side
- 1:23 Is 40:3
- 1:26 Or in, also in vv. 31,33
- 1:27 Other mss add who came before me
- 1:28 Other mss read in Bethabara
- 1:34 Other mss read is the Chosen One of God
- 1:39 Lit about the tenth hour
- 1:41 Both Hb Messiah and Gk Christos mean “anointed one”
- 1:42 Other mss read “Simon, son of Jonah
- 1:42 Both Aramaic Cephas and Gk Petros mean “rock”
- 1:43 Lit he
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