1 I n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;

The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God.

2 t his one was in the beginning with God;

He was with God in the beginning.

3 a ll things through him did happen, and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened.

He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it.

4 I n him was life, and the life was the light of men,

Life began by Him. His Life was the Light for men.

5 a nd the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it.

The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light. John the Baptist Tells of the Coming of Christ

6 T here came a man -- having been sent from God -- whose name John,

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

7 t his one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him;

He came to tell what he knew about the Light so that all men might believe through him.

8 t hat one was not the Light, but -- that he might testify about the Light.

John was not the Light, but he was sent to tell about the Light.

9 H e was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world;

This true Light, coming into the world, gives light to every man.

10 i n the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him:

He came into the world. The world was made by Him, but it did not know Him.

11 t o his own things he came, and his own people did not receive him;

He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.

12 b ut as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God -- to those believing in his name,

He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name.

13 w ho -- not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but -- of God were begotten.

These children of God were not born of blood and of flesh and of man’s desires, but they were born of God.

14 A nd the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.

Christ became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining-greatness. This greatness is given only to a much-loved Son from His Father. He was full of loving-favor and truth. John the Baptist Makes the Way Ready for Jesus Christ

15 J ohn doth testify concerning him, and hath cried, saying, `This was he of whom I said, He who after me is coming, hath come before me, for he was before me;'

John told about Christ and said, “I have been telling you about this One. I said, ‘He is coming after me. He is more important than I because He lived before me.’”

16 a nd out of his fulness did we all receive, and grace over-against grace;

From Him Who has so much we have all received loving-favor, one loving-favor after another.

17 f or the law through Moses was given, the grace and the truth through Jesus Christ did come;

The Law was given through Moses, but loving-favor and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 G od no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father -- he did declare.

The much-loved Son is beside the Father. No man has ever seen God. But Christ has made God known to us.

19 A nd this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent out of Jerusalem priests and Levites, that they might question him, `Who art thou?'

The Jews sent their religious leaders and men from the family group of Levi to ask John, “Who are you?”

20 a nd he confessed and did not deny, and confessed -- `I am not the Christ.'

He told them without holding back any words, “I am not the Christ!”

21 A nd they questioned him, `What then? Elijah art thou?' and he saith, `I am not.' -- `The prophet art thou?' and he answered, `No.'

They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not!” Then they asked, “Are you the special One Who was to come to speak for God?” John said, “No.”

22 T hey said then to him, `Who art thou, that we may give an answer to those sending us? what dost thou say concerning thyself?'

Then they asked him, “Who are you? We must tell those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

23 H e said, `I a voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.'

John said, “I am the voice of one crying in the desert. ‘Make the road straight for the Lord,’ as the early preacher Isaiah said.”

24 A nd those sent were of the Pharisees,

Those who had been sent were from the proud religious law-keepers.

25 a nd they questioned him and said to him, `Why, then, dost thou baptize, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?'

They asked John again, “Then why do you baptize if you are not the Christ or Elijah or that special One Who was to come to speak for God?”

26 J ohn answered them, saying, `I baptize with water, but in midst of you he hath stood whom ye have not known, this one it is who is coming after me, who hath been before me,

John answered, “I baptize with water. But there is One standing among you Whom you do not know.

27 o f whom I am not worthy that I may loose the cord of his sandal.'

He is the One Who is coming after me. I am not good enough to get down and help Him take off His shoes.”

28 T hese things came to pass in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing,

All this happened when John was baptizing in the town of Bethany. He was on the other side of the Jordan River. The Baptism of Jesus

29 o n the morrow John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, `Lo, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world;

The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming to him. He said, “See! The Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!

30 t his is he concerning whom I said, After me doth come a man, who hath come before me, because he was before me:

I have been talking about Him. I said, ‘One is coming after me Who is more important than I, because He lived before I was born.’

31 a nd I knew him not, but, that he might be manifested to Israel, because of this I came with the water baptizing.

I did not know who He was, but I have come to baptize with water so the Jews might know about Him.”

32 A nd John testified, saying -- `I have seen the Spirit coming down, as a dove, out of heaven, and it remained on him;

Then John said, “I saw the Holy Spirit come down on Jesus as a dove from heaven. The Holy Spirit stayed on Him.

33 a nd I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, He said to me, On whomsoever thou mayst see the Spirit coming down, and remaining on him, this is he who is baptizing with the Holy Spirit;

I did not know Him then. But God sent me to baptize with water. God said to me, ‘The Holy Spirit will come down and stay on Him. He is the One Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

34 a nd I have seen, and have testified, that this is the Son of God.'

I saw this happen. I am now saying that Jesus is the Son of God.” Jesus Calls Andrew and Peter

35 O n the morrow, again, John was standing, and two of his disciples,

The next day John the Baptist was standing with two of his own followers.

36 a nd having looked on Jesus walking, he saith, `Lo, the Lamb of God;'

Jesus walked by. John looked at Him and said, “See! The Lamb of God.”

37 a nd the two disciples heard him speaking, and they followed Jesus.

John’s two followers heard him say this and followed Jesus.

38 A nd Jesus having turned, and having beheld them following, saith to them, `What seek ye?' and they said to them, `Rabbi, (which is, being interpreted, Teacher,) where remainest thou?'

Jesus turned around and saw them following. He said to them, “What are you looking for?” They answered, “Teacher, where are you staying?”

39 H e saith to them, `Come and see;' they came, and saw where he doth remain, and with him they remained that day and the hour was about the tenth.

He said to them, “Come and see.” They followed Him and saw where He lived. They stayed with Him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40 A ndrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard from John, and followed him;

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

41 t his one doth first find his own brother Simon, and saith to him, `We have found the Messiah,' (which is, being interpreted, The Anointed,)

The first thing he did was to find his brother Simon. He said to him, “We have found the Christ!”

42 a nd he brought him unto Jesus: and having looked upon him, Jesus saith, `Thou art Simon, the son of Jonas, thou shalt be called Cephas,' (which is interpreted, A rock.)

Andrew took Simon to Jesus. When Jesus saw Simon, He said, “You are Simon, the son of John. Your name will be Cephas.” The name Cephas means Peter, or a rock. Jesus Calls Philip And Nathanael

43 O n the morrow, he willed to go forth to Galilee, and he findeth Philip, and saith to him, `Be following me.'

The next day Jesus wanted to go to the country of Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.”

44 A nd Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter;

Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. Andrew and Peter were from this town also.

45 P hilip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him, `Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets, we have found, Jesus the son of Joseph, who from Nazareth;'

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law. He is the One the early preachers wrote about. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.”

46 a nd Nathanael said to him, `Out of Nazareth is any good thing able to be?' Philip said to him, `Come and see.'

Nathanael said, “Can anything good come out of the town of Nazareth?” Philip said, “Come and see.”

47 J esus saw Nathanael coming unto him, and he saith concerning him, `Lo, truly an Israelite, in whom guile is not;'

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and said, “See! There is a true Jew. There is nothing false in him.”

48 N athanael saith to him, `Whence me dost thou know?' Jesus answered and said to him, `Before Philip's calling thee -- thou being under the fig-tree -- I saw thee.'

Nathanael said to Jesus, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip talked to you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

49 N athanael answered and saith to him, `Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the king of Israel.'

Nathanael said to Him, “Teacher, You are the Son of God. You are the King of the Jews.”

50 J esus answered and said to him, `Because I said to thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, thou dost believe; greater things than these thou shalt see;'

Jesus said to him, “Do you believe because I said I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than that.

51 a nd he saith to him, `Verily, verily, I say to you, henceforth ye shall see the heaven opened, and the messengers of God going up and coming down upon the Son of Man.'

For sure, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and God’s angels going up and coming and down on the Son of Man.”