New Testament in a Year

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,

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.