John 1:1–28

PROLOGUE

1In the beginning^a 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 created^e through him,^f and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. ⁴In him was life,^Ag and that life was the light^h of men. ⁵That light shinesⁱ in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.^j

⁶There 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 testify^l about the light.

⁹The true light^m that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.^Dn

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was created^o through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. ¹¹He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive^p him,^q he gave them the right^r to be^E children^s of God,^t to those who believe^u in his name,^{v 13}who were born,^w not of natural descent,^F or of the will^x of the flesh,^y or of the will of man,^G but of God.^z

¹⁴The Word^aa became flesh^ab and dwelt^H among us. We observed his glory,^ac the glory as the one and only^ad Son^I 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 me^ae ranks ahead of me,^af because he existed before me.’ ”)^{ag 16}Indeed, we have all received grace^ah upon^J grace from his fullness, ¹⁷for the law was given through Moses;^ai grace and truth^aj came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has ever seen God. The one and only^ak Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s^al side^K—he has revealed him.^am

JOHN THE BAPTIST’S TESTIMONY

¹⁹This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem^an sent priests^ao and Levites^ap to ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰He 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?”

²³He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord^Lat—just as Isaiah^au the prophet said.”

²⁴Now 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. ²⁷He is the one coming after me,^Bax whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” ²⁸All this happened in Bethany^C across the Jordan,^ay where John was baptizing.