John 1:1–18

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word,^a and the Word was with God,^b and the Word was God.^c He was with God in the beginning.^d Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.^e In him was life,^f and that life was the light^g of all people. The light shines in the darkness,^h and the darkness has not overcome it.ⁱ

There was a man sent from God whose name was John.^j He came as a witness to testify^k concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.^l He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light^m that gives light to everyoneⁿ was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him,^o the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.^p Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed^q in his name,^r he gave the right to become children of God^s— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.^t

The Word became flesh^u and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory,^v the glory of the one and only ^⌈Son^⌈, who came from the Father, full of grace^w and truth.^x

(John testified^y concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”)^z Out of his fullness^a we have all received grace^b in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses;^c grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.^d No one has ever seen God,^e but the one and only ^⌈Son^⌈, who is himself God and^f is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.