John 1
Modern English Version
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were created through Him, and without Him nothing was created that was created. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. 5 The light shines in darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 This man came as a witness in order to testify concerning the Light, that all men through Him might believe. 8 He was not this Light, but was sent in order to testify concerning the Light.
9 The true Light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12 Yet to all who received Him, He gave the power to become sons of God, to those who believed in His name, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ” 16 We have all received from His fullness grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The only Son, who is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist(A)
19 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 They asked him, “Who then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 They said to him then, “Who are you? Tell us so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say concerning yourself?”
23 John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’[a] just as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why do you baptize then, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but One stands among you, whom you do not know. 27 This is He who comes after me, who is preferred before me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”
28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, 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, who 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 for this reason I came baptizing with water: so that He might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The One on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and have borne witness that He is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples
35 Again, the next day John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 Looking upon Jesus as He walked, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, saw them following, and said to them, “What do you seek?”
And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 Jesus said to them, “Come and see.”
So they came and saw where He stayed and remained with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.
40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means the Christ). 42 Then he brought him to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, He said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).
The Calling of Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip, and said to him, “Follow Me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, as well as the prophets, wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said concerning him, “Here is an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile.”
48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”
Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when 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 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, “Truly, truly I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
John 1
Lexham English Bible
The Prologue to John’s Gospel
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 into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that[a] has come into being. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity.[b] 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome[c] it.
6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was[d] John. 7 This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him. 8 That one was not the light, but came[e] in order that he could testify about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to every person, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, and the world did not recognize[f] him. 11 He came to his own things, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority to become children of God, 13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about him and cried out, saying, “This one was he about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he existed before me.’” 16 For from his fullness we have all received, and grace after grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the one and only, God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father—that one has made him[g] known.
John the Baptist Testifies to Jesus
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent[h] priests and Levites from Jerusalem so that they could ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed—and he did not deny, and confessed—“I am not the Christ!” 21 And they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?”[i] And he answered, “No!” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said,
“I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord,”’[j]
just 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 are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water. In your midst stands one whom you do not know— 27 the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie[k] the strap of his sandal!” 28 These things took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This one is the one about whom I said, ‘After me is coming a man who is ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31 And I did not know him, but in order that he could be revealed to Israel, because of this I came baptizing with water.”
32 And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and remaining upon him. 33 And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, ‘The one upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him—this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testify that this one is the Chosen One[l] of God.
Two of John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35 On the next day again John was standing there,[m] and two of his disciples, 36 and looking at Jesus as he[n] was walking by, he said, “Look! The Lamb of God!” 37 And the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus. 38 And Jesus, turning around and seeing them following him,[o] said to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means when[p] translated “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see!” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day (it was about the tenth hour).
Andrew Declares Jesus to be the Messiah
40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 This one first found his own brother Simon and said 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 interpreted “Peter”).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 On the next day he wanted to depart for Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me!” 44 (Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.) 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets wrote about—Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth!” 46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see!”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Look! A true Israelite[q] in whom is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “From where do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you[r] 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 under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly I say to all of you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
Footnotes
- John 1:3 Or “came into being. What …,” beginning a new sentence connected with the following verse. A major punctuation problem is involved, since the earliest manuscripts have no punctuation, but some important later ones place the punctuation before this phrase, effectively connecting it to v. 4: “What has come into being was life in him”
- John 1:4 Or “humankind”
- John 1:5 Or “comprehend” (if primarily referring to people in the world)
- John 1:6 Literally “the name to him”
- John 1:8 The verb is implied from the previous verse, and must be supplied in the English translation
- John 1:10 Or “acknowledge”
- John 1:18 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 1:19 Some manuscripts have “sent to him”
- John 1:21 A reference to the “Prophet like Moses” of Deut 18:15 (see Acts 3:22)
- John 1:23 A quotation from Isa 40:3
- John 1:27 Literally “that I might untie”
- John 1:34 Some manuscripts have “the Son of God”
- John 1:35 *The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied
- John 1:36 Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“walking by”) which is understood as temporal
- John 1:38 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
- John 1:38 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“translated”) which is understood as temporal
- John 1:47 Literally “truly an Israelite”
- John 1:48 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“were”) which is understood as temporal
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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