1In the beginning was the Word, ⁰and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2He was in the beginning with God.

3Everything was made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

4In Him was life, and that life was the light of mankind.

5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness hasn’t overcome ¹it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

7This man came as a witness, to testify about the light, that all through him might believe.

8He wasn’t that light, but was sent as a witness of that light.

9The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world.

10The Word was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world didn’t recognize Him.

11He came to His own, and those who were His own didn’t receive Him.

12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in His name:

13who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15John testified about Him. He cried out, saying, “This was He who I told you about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”

16From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

17The Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18No one has ever seen God, but God’s only born Son, who is near to the heart of His Father, has made Him known.

19Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites ²from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

20He confessed, and didn’t deny, but confessed, “I’m not the Christ.”

21They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

22Then they asked him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” ³

24Now those who were sent were Pharisees. ⁴

25They asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but One stands among you that you don’t know.

27It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”

28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Look! God’s Lamb who takes away the sin of the world!

30This is the One I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me is preferred before me because He existed before me.’

31I didn’t know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”

32John testified, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.

33I wouldn’t have known Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘Whoever you see the Spirit descending upon, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

34I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Son.”

35The next day, John again stood with two of His disciples.

36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, God’s Lamb!”

37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38Jesus turned, and seeing them following, asked them, “What are you looking for?” They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which, when translated, means Teacher), “Where are You staying?”

39He told them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour. ⁵

40Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.

41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother, Simon, and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, translated, the Christ ⁶).

42Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter ⁷).

43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he told him, “Follow me.”

44Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found Him who Moses in the Law, and also the prophets, wrote about — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46Nathanael asked Philip, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip told Nathanael, “Come and see.”

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of Nathanael, “Look! An Israelite indeed, who has no deceit in him!”

48Nathanael asked Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49Nathanael answered, “Rabbi, ⁸You are God’s Son. You are the King of Israel.”

50Jesus said to him, “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

51And He told him, “Most assuredly, I tell you, you will see Heaven opened, and God’s angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”