John 1:1–28

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.