The Word of Life
1 In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.
2 From the very beginning
the Word was with God.
3 And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4 received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
5 The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.
6 God sent a man named John,
7 who came to tell
about the light
and to lead all people
to have faith.
8 John wasn't this light.
He came only to tell
about the light.
9 The true light that shines
on everyone
was coming into the world.
10 The Word was in the world,
but no one knew him,
though God had made the world
with his Word.
11 He came into his own world,
but his own nation
did not welcome him.
12 Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
13 They were not God's children
by nature or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children.
14 The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.
From him the complete gifts
of undeserved grace and truth
have come down to us.
15 John spoke about him and shouted, “This is the one I told you would come! He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.”
16 Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another. 17 The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
John the Baptist Tells about Jesus
(Matthew 3.1-12Mark 1.1-8Luke 3.15-17)19-20 The religious authorities in Jerusalem sent priests and temple helpers to ask John who he was. He told them plainly, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet, he also said “No!”
22 Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”
23 John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’ ”
24 Some Pharisees had also been sent to John. 25 They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
26 John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know. 27 Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.” 28 John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.
The Lamb of God
29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come, who is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” 31 I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.
32 I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. 33 Before this I didn't know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Here is the Lamb of God!” 37 John's two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.
38 When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?”
They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”
39 Jesus replied, “Come and see!” It was already about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.
40 One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” The Hebrew word “Messiah” means the same as the Greek word “Christ.”
42 Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas.” This name can be translated as “Peter.”
Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael
43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, “Follow me.”
45 Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51 I tell you for certain you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”
1 In the beginning was that Word, and that Word was with God, and that Word was God. 2 This same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by it, and without it was made nothing that was made. 4 In it was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 And that light shineth in the darkenesse, and the darkenesse comprehended it not. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was Iohn. 7 This same came for a witnesse, to beare witnesse of that light, that all men through him might beleeue. 8 He was not that light, but was sent to beare witnesse of that light. 9 This was that true light, which lighteth euery man that commeth into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the worlde was made by him: and the worlde knewe him not. 11 He came vnto his owne, and his owne receiued him not. 12 But as many as receiued him, to them he gaue prerogatiue to be the sonnes of God, euen to them that beleeue in his Name. 13 Which are borne not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of ye wil of man, but of God. 14 And that Word was made flesh, and dwelt among vs, (and we sawe the glorie thereof, as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father) full of grace and trueth. 15 Iohn bare witnesse of him, and cryed, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that commeth after me, was before me: for he was better then I. 16 And of his fulnesse haue all we receiued, and grace for grace. 17 For the Lawe was giuen by Moses, but grace, and trueth came by Iesus Christ. 18 No man hath seene God at any time: that onely begotten Sonne, which is in the bosome of the Father, he hath declared him. 19 Then this is the record of Iohn, when the Iewes sent Priestes and Leuites from Hierusalem, to aske him, Who art thou? 20 And he confessed and denied not, and said plainely, I am not that Christ. 21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said, I am not. Art thou that Prophet? And he answered, No. 22 Then said they vnto him, Who art thou, that we may giue an answere to them that sent vs? What sayest thou of thy selfe? 23 He said, I am the voyce of him that cryeth in the wildernesse, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Esaias. 24 Nowe they which were sent, were of the Pharises. 25 And they asked him, and saide vnto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, neither Elias, nor that Prophet? 26 Iohn answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there is one among you, whom ye knowe not. 27 He it is that commeth after me, which was before me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthie to vnloose. 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Iordan, where Iohn did baptize. 29 The next day Iohn, seeth Iesus comming vnto him, and saith, Beholde that Lambe of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world. 30 This is he of whom I saide, After me commeth a man, which was before me: for he was better then I. 31 And I knewe him not: but because he should be declared to Israel, therefore am I come, baptizing with water. 32 So Iohn bare recorde, saying, I behelde that Spirit come downe from heauen, like a doue, and it abode vpon him, 33 And I knewe him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, he saide vnto me, Vpon whom thou shalt see that Spirit come downe, and tary still on him, that is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost. 34 And I sawe, and bare record that this is that Sonne of God. 35 The next day, Iohn stoode againe, and two of his disciples. 36 And he behelde Iesus walking by, and said, Beholde that Lambe of God. 37 And the two disciples heard him speake, and followed Iesus. 38 Then Iesus turned about, and saw them follow, and saide vnto them, What seeke ye? And they saide vnto him, Rabbi (which is to say by interpretation, Master) where dwellest thou? 39 He saide vnto them, Come, and see. They came and sawe where hee dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth houre. 40 Andrew, Simon Peters brother, was one of the two which had heard it of Iohn, and that followed him. 41 The same founde his brother Simon first, and said vnto him, We haue founde that Messias, which is by interpretation, that Christ. 42 And he brought him to Iesus. And Iesus behelde him, and saide, Thou art Simon the sonne of Iona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, a stone. 43 The day following, Iesus woulde goe into Galile, and founde Philip, and said vnto him, Followe me. 44 Nowe Philip was of Bethsaida, the citie of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philippe founde Nathanael, and saide vnto him, Wee haue founde him of whom Moses did write in the Lawe, and the Prophetes, Iesus that sonne of Ioseph, that was of Nazareth. 46 Then Nathanael sayde vnto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saide to him, Come, and see. 47 Iesus sawe Nathanael comming to him, and saide of him, Beholde in deede an Israelite, in whom is no guile. 48 Nathanael sayde vnto him, Whence knewest thou mee? Iesus answered, and sayd vnto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast vnder the figge tree, I sawe thee. 49 Nathanael answered, and saide vnto him, Rabbi, thou art that Sonne of God: thou art that King of Israel. 50 Iesus answered, and sayde vnto him, Because I sayde vnto thee, I sawe thee vnder the figtree, beleeuest thou? thou shalt see greater things then these. 51 And he saide vnto him, Verely, verely I say vnto you, hereafter shall yee see heauen open, and the Angels of God ascending, and descending vpon that Sonne of man.