John 1
1
The Word of Life
1In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.
2From the very beginning
the Word was with God.
3And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
5The light keeps shining
in the dark,
and darkness has never
put it out.#1.5 put it out: Or “understood it.”
6 #
Mt 3.1; Mk 1.4; Lk 3.1,2. God sent a man named John,
7who came to tell
about the light
and to lead all people
to have faith.
8John wasn't this light.
He came only to tell
about the light.
9The true light that shines
on everyone
was coming into the world.
10The Word was in the world,
but no one knew him,
though God had made the world
with his Word.
11He came into his own world,
but his own nation
did not welcome him.
12Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
13They were not God's children
by nature or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children.
14The 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.
15John 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.”
16Because of all that the Son is, we have been given one blessing after another.#1.16 one blessing after another: Or “one blessing in place of another.” 17The Law was given by Moses, but Jesus Christ brought us undeserved kindness and truth. 18No 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 3.1-12; Mark 1.1-8; Luke 3.15-17)
19-20The 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#Ml 4.5; Dt 18.15,18; Si 48.10,11. Then when they asked him if he were Elijah, he said, “No, I am not!” And when they asked if he were the Prophet,#1.21 the Prophet: Many of the Jewish people expected God to send them a prophet who would be like Moses, but with even greater power (see Deuteronomy 18.15,18). he also said “No!”
22Finally, they said, “Who are you then? We have to give an answer to the ones who sent us. Tell us who you are!”
23 # Is 40.3 (LXX). John answered in the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I am only someone shouting in the desert, ‘Get the road ready for the Lord!’ ”
24Some Pharisees had also been sent to John. 25They asked him, “Why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Messiah or Elijah or the Prophet?”
26John told them, “I use water to baptize people. But here with you is someone you don't know. 27Even though I came first, I am not good enough to untie his sandals.” 28John said this as he was baptizing east of the Jordan River in Bethany.#1.28 Bethany: An unknown village east of the Jordan with the same name as the village near Jerusalem.
The Lamb of God
29The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30He 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.” 31I didn't know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.
32I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. 33Before 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.” 34I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.
The First Disciples of Jesus
35The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. 36When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Here is the Lamb of God!” 37John's two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.
38When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?”
They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”
39Jesus 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.
40One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41The 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.”
42Andrew 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.”#1.42 Peter: The Aramaic name “Cephas” and the Greek name “Peter” each mean “rock.”
Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael
43-44The 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.”
45Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets#1.45 Moses and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament. wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.”
47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn't deceitful.”#1.47 Israel … isn't deceitful: Israel (meaning “a man who wrestled with God” or “a prince of God”) was the name that the Lord gave to Jacob (meaning “cheater” or “deceiver”), the famous ancestor of the Jewish people.
48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”
50Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51#Gn 28.12. I tell you for certain you will see heaven open and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”#1.51 going up and coming down on the Son of Man: When Jacob (see the note at 1.47) was running from his brother Esau, he had a dream in which he saw angels going up and down on a ladder from earth to heaven (see Genesis 28.10-22).
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
John 1
1
The Word Became Flesh
1 #
Gen. 1:1; [Col. 1:17; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 1:4, 8, 17; 3:14; 21:6; 22:13] In the beginning was #Rev. 19:13; [Heb. 4:12; 1 John 1:1] the Word, and #1 John 1:2; [ch. 17:5] the Word was with God, and #Phil. 2:6the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3#ver. 10; Ps. 33:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4#ch. 5:26; 11:25; 1 John 1:2; 5:11 In him was life,#1:4 Or was not any thing made. That which has been made was life in him and #ch. 8:12; 9:5; 12:46the life was the light of men. 5#[ch. 3:19]The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6There was a man #ver. 33; ch. 3:28; Mal. 3:1 sent from God, whose name was #Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:2John. 7He came as a #ch. 3:26; 5:33 witness, to bear witness about the light, #Acts 19:4that all might believe through him. 8#ver. 20He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 #
Isa. 49:6; 1 John 2:8 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet #[ch. 16:3; 1 John 3:1]the world did not know him. 11He came to #Matt. 21:38 his own,#1:11 Greek to his own things; that is, to his own domain, or to his own people and #ch. 13:1 his own people#1:11 People is implied in Greek #ch. 5:43; [ch. 3:11, 32]did not receive him. 12But to all who did receive him, #See 1 John 5:13 who believed in his name, #1 John 5:1 he gave the right #1 John 3:1; [Matt. 5:45] to become #[Gal. 3:26]; See ch. 11:52children of God, 13who #James 1:18; [ch. 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:3] were born, #1 Pet. 1:23 not of blood #ch. 3:6nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And #ver. 1 the Word #Rom. 1:3; 8:3; Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2:7, 8; Col. 1:22; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 2:14; 1 John 4:2; 2 John 7; [ch. 6:51] became flesh and #Rev. 7:15; 21:3 dwelt among us, #ch. 2:11; Luke 9:32; 2 Pet. 1:16, 17; 1 John 1:1; 4:14 and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son#1:14 Or only One, or unique One from the Father, full of #See ver. 7 grace and #[ch. 14:6]truth. 15(#See ver. 7 John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, #ver. 27, 30; See Matt. 3:11‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16For from #Eph. 1:23; 3:19; 4:13; Col. 1:19; 2:9 his fullness we have all received, #[Matt. 25:29]grace upon grace.#1:16 Or grace in place of grace 17For #ch. 7:19; Ex. 20:1 the law was given through Moses; #ver. 14; [Rom. 5:21]grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18#ch. 5:37; 6:46; Ex. 33:20; Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12, 20; [ch. 12:45] No one has ever seen God; #ver. 14; See ch. 3:16 the only God,#1:18 Or the only One, who is God; some manuscripts the only Son who is at the Father’s side,#1:18 Greek in the bosom of the Father #[Matt. 11:27]; See ch. 3:32he has made him known.
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19And this is the #ch. 3:26 testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, #[ch. 8:25]“Who are you?” 20#ver. 8; ch. 3:28; Acts 13:25; [Luke 3:15]He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? #[Matt. 11:14; 16:14] Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you #See Deut. 18:15, 18the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am #Cited from Isa. 40:3; See Matt. 3:3the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight#1:23 Or crying out, ‘In the wilderness make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
24(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25They asked him, #Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3, 7“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26John answered them, #Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:7, 8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; 13:25“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27even #ver. 15, 30he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Behold, the Lamb of God
29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, #ver. 36; Ex. 12:3; Isa. 53:7; Acts 8:32; 1 Pet. 1:19; [Gen. 22:8; Rev. 5:6] the Lamb of God, who #1 John 3:5; [Heb. 10:4, 11] takes away the sin #[ch. 3:16, 17; 4:42; 12:47; 1 John 2:2; 4:14]of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, #ver. 15, 27‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him, but #Luke 1:17, 76, 77for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32And John #See ver. 7 bore witness: #Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22 “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and #[Isa. 11:2; Acts 10:38]it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but #ver. 6; Luke 3:2 he who sent me to baptize #[ch. 3:5] with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, #Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5this is he who baptizes #[ch. 3:5] with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son#1:34 Some manuscripts the Chosen One of God.”
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
35The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, #See ver. 29the Lamb of God!” 37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, #ch. 18:4, 7; 20:15 “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, #ver. 49; ch. 3:2, 26; 6:25; [ch. 20:16; Mark 10:51]“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.#1:39 That is, about 4 p.m. 40#For ver. 40-42, [Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-20; Luke 5:2-11]One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus#1:40 Greek him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found #ch. 4:25the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of #ch. 21:15-17 John. You shall be called #1 Cor. 1:12; 3:22 Cephas” (which means #Matt. 16:18Peter#1:42 Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 # [ver. 35; ch. 2:1] The next day Jesus decided #[ver. 28]to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now #ch. 12:21Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found #ch. 21:2 Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom #See Luke 16:16; 24:27 Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus #See Matt. 2:23 of Nazareth, #ch. 6:42; Luke 3:23the son of Joseph.” 46Nathanael said to him, #[ch. 7:41, 52]“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, #Ps. 73:1; Rom. 9:4, 6 an Israelite indeed, #Ps. 32:2; [Zeph. 3:13; Rev. 14:5]in whom there is no deceit!” 48Nathanael said to him, “How #ch. 2:24, 25do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him, #See ver. 38 “Rabbi, #[ch. 6:69; 11:27; 20:28] you are the Son of God! You are the #ch. 12:13; Zeph. 3:15; Matt. 27:11, 42; [Zech. 9:9]King of Israel!” 50Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,#1:51 The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse you will see #Ezek. 1:1; Matt. 3:16; Luke 3:21 heaven opened, and #[Gen. 28:12] the angels of God ascending and descending on #See Dan. 7:13the Son of Man.”
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