John 1:1–28

The Prologue to John’s Gospel

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²This one was in the beginning with God. ³All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that^a has come into being. ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of humanity.^{b 5}And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome^c it.

⁶A man came, sent from God, whose name was^d John. ⁷This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him. ⁸That one was not the light, but came^e in order that he could testify about the light. ⁹The true light, who gives light to every person, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, and the world did not recognize^f him. ¹¹He came to his own things, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But as many as received him—to those who believe in his name—he gave to them authority to become children of God, ¹³who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a husband, but of God.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh and took up residence among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the one and only from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵John testified about him and cried out, saying, “This one was he about whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me is ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ” ¹⁶For from his fullness we have all received, and grace after grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has seen God at any time; the one and only, God, the one who is in the bosom of the Father—that one has made him^* known.

John the Baptist Testifies to Jesus

¹⁹And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent^g priests and Levites from Jerusalem so that they could ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰And he confessed—and he did not deny, and confessed—“I am not the Christ!” ²¹And they asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not!” “Are you the Prophet?”^h And he answered, “No!” ²²Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we can give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

²³He said,

“I am ‘the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,

“Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ⁱ

just as Isaiah the prophet said.” ²⁴(And they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵And they asked him and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water. In your midst stands one whom you do not know—²⁷the one who comes after me, of whom I am not worthy to untie^j the strap of his sandal!” ²⁸These things took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.