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.”