John 1
1
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome#1:5 Or understood it.
6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and#1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
John the Baptist Denies Being the Messiah
19Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders#1:19 The Greek term traditionally translated the Jews (hoi Ioudaioi) refers here and elsewhere in John’s Gospel to those Jewish leaders who opposed Jesus; also in 5:10, 15,16; 7:1,11,13; 9:22; 18:14,28,36; 19:7,12,31,38; 20:19. in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22Finally they said, “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 wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”#1:23 Isaiah 40:3
24Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26“I baptize with#1:26 Or in; also in verses 31 and 33 (twice) water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John Testifies About Jesus
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”#1:34 See Isaiah 42:1; many manuscripts is the Son of God.
John’s Disciples Follow Jesus
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.
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, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter#1:42 Cephas (Aramaic) and Peter (Greek) both mean rock.).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50Jesus said, “You believe#1:50 Or Do you believe…? because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51He then added, “Very truly I tell you,#1:51 The Greek is plural. you#1:51 The Greek is plural. will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’#1:51 Gen. 28:12 the Son of Man.”
Currently Selected:
John 1: NIV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.
John 1
1
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things received being through him, and without him not one thing received being which has received being. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5And the light appears in darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not. 6There was a man sent from God, his name John. 7He came for witness, that he might witness concerning the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but that he might witness concerning the light. 9The true light was that which, coming into the world, lightens every man. 10He was in the world, and the world had its being through him, and the world knew him not. 11He came to his own, and his own received him not; 12but as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name; 13who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh's will, nor of man's will, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father), full of grace and truth;
15(John bears witness of him, and he has cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me;) 16for of his fulness we all have received, and grace upon grace. 17For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth subsists through Jesus Christ. 18No one has seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites that they might ask him, Thou, who art thou? 20And he acknowledged and denied not, and acknowledged, I am not the Christ. 21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he says, I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered, No. 22They said therefore to him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the path of the Lord, as said Esaias the prophet. 24And they were sent from among the Pharisees. 25And they asked him and said to him, Why baptisest thou then, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? 26John answered them saying, I baptise with water. In the midst of you stands, whom ye do not know, 27he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things took place in Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptising.
29On the morrow he sees Jesus coming to him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. 30He it is of whom I said, A man comes after me who takes a place before me, because he was before me; 31and I knew him not; but that he might be manifested to Israel, therefore have I come baptising with water. 32And John bore witness, saying, I beheld the Spirit descending as a dove from heaven, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptise with water, he said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and abiding on him, he it is who baptises with the Holy Spirit. 34And I have seen and borne witness that this is the Son of God. 35Again, on the morrow, there stood John and two of his disciples. 36And, looking at Jesus as he walked, he says, Behold the Lamb of God.
37And the two disciples heard him speaking, and followed Jesus. 38But Jesus having turned, and seeing them following, says to them, What seek ye? And they said to him, Rabbi (which, being interpreted, signifies Teacher), where abidest thou? 39He says to them, Come and see. They went therefore, and saw where he abode; and they abode with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. 40Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard this from John and followed him. 41He first finds his own brother Simon, and says to him, We have found the Messias (which being interpreted is Christ). 42And he led him to Jesus. Jesus looking at him said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas; thou shalt be called Cephas (which interpreted is stone).
43On the morrow he would go forth into Galilee, and Jesus finds Philip, and says to him, Follow me. 44And Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip finds Nathanael, and says to him, We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets, Jesus, the son of Joseph, who is from Nazareth. 46And Nathanael said to him, Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip says to him, Come and see. 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and says of him, Behold one truly an Israelite, in whom there is no guile. 48Nathanael says to him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. 49Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel. 50Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. 51And he says to him, Verily, verily, I say to you, Henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.