John 1
World English Bible
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome[a] it. 6 There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light. 9 The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. 12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe 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 lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’” 16 From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son,[b] who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him.
19 This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.”
21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’
24 The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
26 John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.” 28 These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold,[c] 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 didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.” 32 John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him. 33 I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
35 Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come, and see.”
They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour.[d] 40 One of the two who heard John 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 is, being interpreted, Christ[e]). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).[f] 43 On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and 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 about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”
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 King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” 51 He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Footnotes
- 1:5 The word translated “overcome” (κατέλαβεν) can also be translated “comprehended.” It refers to getting a grip on an enemy to defeat him.
- 1:18 NU reads “God”
- 1:29 “Behold”, from “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
- 1:39 4:00 p.m.
- 1:41 “Messiah” (Hebrew) and “Christ” (Greek) both mean “Anointed One”.
- 1:42 “Cephas” (Aramaic) and “Peter” (Greek) both mean “Rock”.
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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