1 In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.
2 This word was with God in the beginning.
Pre-Incarnate Work of Christ
3 Everything came into being through it, and not one thing that has come into being came into being apart from it.
4 In it was life, and the life was the light of men,
5 and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.
6 There was a man sent from God, and his name was John.
7 He came with a view to a testimony, in order to testify about the light, in order that everyone should believe through him.
8 That man was not the light, but he came in order to testify about the light.
9 It was the true light, which lights up every man who comes into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him, but the world did not know him.
11 He came to his own property, but his own people did not receive him.
12 But as for those who did receive him, he gave them authority to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in his name,
13 who were begotten not by blood, nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but by God.
14 And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only-begotten from the father, full of grace and truth.
15 John testified concerning him, and cried out, saying, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me had existence before me, because he was prior to me.’ ”
16 And we have all received some of his fulness, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, then grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No-one has seen God at any time. It is the only-begotten son, who is in the bosom of the father, who has expounded him.
John's Witness to the Priests and Levites
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 And he confessed and did not deny who he really was, and confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
21 Then they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “No, I am not.” – “Are you the prophet?” And he answered, “No.”
22 So they said to him, “Who are you? Tell us, so that we can give an answer 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,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
24 Now those who had been sent were from the Pharisees,
25 and they questioned him, and asked him, “So why do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
26 John replied to them and said, “I baptize with water. But in your midst stands he whom you do not know.
27 He is the one who comes after me, who had existence before me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to loosen.”
28 These things took place in Bethania beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John's Witness at Christ's Baptism
29 The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and he said, “Behold the lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.
30 This is he about whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who had existence before me, because he was prior to me.’
31 And I did not know him, except that he should be manifested to Israel – that is why I came baptizing with water.”
32 And John testified, saying, “I have seen the spirit descending like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.
33 And I did not know him, except that he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘On whom you see the spirit descending and remaining, that is the one who baptizes with holy spirit.’
34 And I have seen it, and I have testified that this is the son of God.”
Andrew and Peter Follow Christ
35 On the next day, John was again standing, as were two of his disciples,
36 and looking at Jesus walking around, he said, “Behold the lamb of God.”
37 And the two disciples heard him speaking, and followed Jesus.
38 Jesus then turned round and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” And they said to him, “Rabbi,” – which, translated, is “teacher” – “where are you staying?”
39 He said to them, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and remained with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.
40 Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of the two who heard from John and followed him.
41 He found his own brother Simon first, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” – which, translated, is the “Christ” –
42 and he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You will be called Cephas, which translated, is ‘Peter.’”
Philip and Nathanael Follow Christ
43 The next day, he wished to set out for Galilee, and he found Philip, and Jesus said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, from 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, namely Jesus, the son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth.”
46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can there be anything good from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and said concerning him, “Look, an Israelite, truly, in whom there is no guile.”
48 Nathanael said to him, “From where do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael replied and said to him, “Rabbi, you are the son of God. You are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus replied and said to him, “Do you believe because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree’? You will see greater things than these.”
51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you people, from now on you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the son of man.”