PROLOGUE

1 In the beginninga was the Word,b and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.c 2 He was with God in the beginning.d 3 All things were createde through him,f and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,A,g and that life was the lighth of men. 5 That light shinesi in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome* it.j

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.k 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.C 8 He was not the light, but he came to testifyl about the light.

9 The true lightm that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.D,n

10 He was in the world, and the world was createdo through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receivep him,q he gave them the rightr to beE childrens of God,t to those who believeu in his name,v 13 who were born,w not of natural descent,F or of the willx of the flesh,y or of the will of man,G but of God.z

14 The Wordaa became fleshab and dweltH among us. We observed his glory,ac the glory as the one and onlyad SonI from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after meae ranks ahead of me,af because he existed before me.’ ”)ag 16 Indeed, we have all received graceah uponJ grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses;ai grace and truthaj came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and onlyak Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’sal sideK—he has revealed him.am

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY

19 This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusaleman sent priestsao and Levitesap to ask him, “Who are you?”

20 He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”aq

21 “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?”ar

“I am not,” he said.

“Are you the Prophet?”as

“No,” he answered.

22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”

23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LordL,at—just as Isaiahau the prophet said.”

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.av 25 So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”

26 “I baptize with* water,”aw John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. 27 He is the one coming after me,N,ax whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 All this happened in BethanyO across the Jordan,ay where John was baptizing.

THE LAMB OF GOD

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,az who takes away the sinba of the world! 30 This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31 I didn’t know him,bb but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealedbc to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spiritbd descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him.be 33 I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’bf 34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”A,a

35 The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”

They said to him, “Rabbi”b (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

39 “Come and you’ll see,” he replied. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.B

40 Andrew,c Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”C,d (which is translated “the Christ”),e 42 and he brought Simon to Jesus.

When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John.D You will be called Cephas”f (which is translated “Peter”E).

PHILIP AND NATHANAEL

43 The next day JesusF decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philipg and told him, “Follow me.”

44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida,h the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanaeli and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophetsj): Jesus the son of Joseph,k from Nazareth.”l

46 “Can anything goodm come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.

“Come and see,” Philip answered.

47 Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israeliten in whom there is no deceit.”

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.

49 “Rabbi,”o Nathanael replied, “You are the Sonp of

JESUS BETRAYED

18 Afterk Jesus had said these things, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. 2 Judas,l who betrayedm him, also knew the place, because Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas took a company of soldiers and some officials* from the chief priests and the Phariseesn and came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons.

4 Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to him,o went out and said to them, “Who is it that you’re seeking?”

5 “Jesus of Nazareth,” they answered.

“I am he,”p Jesus told them.

Judas, who betrayed him, was also standing with them. 6 When Jesus told them, “I am he,” they stepped back and fell to the ground.

7 Then he asked them again, “Who is it that you’re seeking?”

“Jesus of Nazareth,” they said.

8 “I told you I am he,” Jesus replied. “So if you’re looking for me, let these men go.” 9 This was to fulfillq the words he had said: “I have not lost one of those you have given me.”r

10 Then Simons Peter,t who had a sword,u drew it, struck the high priest’sv servant, and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.)

11 At that, Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword away! Am I not to drink the cupw the Father has given me?”

JESUS ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO ANNAS

12 Then the company of soldiers, the commander, and the Jewish officials arrested Jesus and tied him up. 13 First they led him to Annas,x since he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas,y who was high priest that year. 14 Caiaphas was the one who had advised the Jews that it would be better for one man to die for the people.z

PETER DENIES JESUS

15 Simon Peteraa was following Jesus, as was another disciple. That disciple was an acquaintance of the high priest; so he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard. 16 But Peter remained standing outside by the door. So the other disciple, the one known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the girl who was the doorkeeper and brought Peter in.

17 Then the servant girl who was the doorkeeper said to Peter, “You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?”

“I am not,” he said. 18 Now the servants and the officials had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold. They were standing there warming themselves, and Peter was standing with them, warming himself.

JESUS BEFORE ANNAS

19 The high priestab questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.

20 “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered him. “I have always taught in the synagogueac and in the temple,ad where all the Jews gather, and I haven’t spoken anything in secret. 21 Why do you question me? Question those who heard what I told them. Look, they know what I said.”

22 When he had said these things, one of the officials standing by slapped Jesus, saying, “Is this the way you answer the high priest?”

23 “If I have spoken wrongly,” Jesus answered him, “give evidenceA about the wrong; but if rightly,a why do you hit me?” 24 Thenb Annasc sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

PETER DENIES JESUS TWICE MORE

25 Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. They said to him, “You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not.”

26 One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, “Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?”

27 Peter denied it again. Immediately a rooster crowed.d

JESUS BEFORE PILATE

28 Thene they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters.f It was early morning. They did not enter the headquarters themselves; otherwise they would be defiled and unable to eat the Passover.

29 So Pilateg came out to them and said, “What chargeh do you bring against this man?”

30 They answered him, “If this man weren’t a criminal,B we wouldn’t have handed him over to you.”

31 Pilate told them, “You take him and judge him according to your law.”

“It’s not legal for us to put anyone to death,” the Jews declared. 32 They said this so that Jesus’s words might be fulfilled indicating what kind of death he was going to die.i

33 Then Pilate went back into the headquarters, summoned Jesus, and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”j

34 Jesus answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have others told you about me?”

35 “I’m not a Jew, am I?” Pilate replied. “Your own nation and the chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

36 “My kingdomk is not of this world,” said Jesus. “If my kingdom were of this world,l my servantsm would fight, so that I wouldn’t be handed over to the Jews. But as it is,C my kingdom is not from here.”n

37 “You are a king then?” Pilate asked.

“You say that I’m a king,” Jesus replied. “I was born for this, and I have come into the worldo for this: to testifyp to the truth.q Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

38 “What is truth?” said Pilate.

JESUS OR BARABBAS

After he had said this, he went out to the Jews again and told them, “I find no groundsr for charging him. 39 …