OEBcth - John - 1

1:1  In the beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.

1:2  He was in the beginning with God;

1:3  through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.

1:4  That which came into being in him was life; and the life was the light of humanity;

1:5  and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it.

1:6  There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John;

1:7  he came as a witness — to bear witness to the light so that through him everyone might believe.

1:8  He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light.

1:9  That was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world.

1:10  He was in the world; and through him the world came into being — yet the world did not know him.

1:11  He came to his own — yet his own did not receive him.

1:12  But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God — to those who believe in his name.

1:13  For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to human will did they owe the new life, but to God.

1:14  And the Word became human, and lived among us, (We saw his glory — the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth.

1:15  (John bears witness to him; he cried aloud — for it was he who spoke — “‘He who is coming’ after me is now before me, for he was ever first”);

1:16  out of his fullness we have all received some gift, gift after gift of love;

1:17  for the law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.

1:18  No one has ever yet seen God; God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father — He has revealed him.

1:19  When the religious authorities in Jerusalem sent some Priests and Levites to ask John — “Who are you?”,

1:20  he told them clearly and simply: “I am not the Christ.”

1:21  “What then?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” “Are you ‘the prophet’?” He answered, “No.”

1:22  “Who then are you?” they continued; “tell us so that we have an answer to give to those who have sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

1:23  “I,” he answered, “am — ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness — “make a straight road for the Lord”’, as the prophet Isaiah said.”

1:24  These men had been sent from the Pharisees;

1:25  and their next question was: “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ or Elijah or ‘the prophet’?”

1:26  John’s answer was — “I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;

1:27  he is coming after me, yet I am not worthy even to unfasten his sandal.”

1:28  This happened at Bethany, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

1:29  The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed: “Here is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1:30  I was taking about him when I said ‘After me there is coming a man who ranks ahead of me, because before I was born he already was.’

1:31  I did not know who he was, but I have come baptizing with water to make him known to Israel.”

1:32  John also said: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and rest on him.

1:33  I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him — he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’

1:34  This I have seen myself, and I have declared my belief that he is the Son of God.”

1:35  The next day, when John was standing with two of his disciples,

1:36  he looked at Jesus as he passed and exclaimed: “There is the Lamb of God!”

1:37  The two disciples heard him say this, and followed Jesus.

1:38  But Jesus turned round, and saw them following. “What are you looking for?”he asked. “Rabbi,” they answered (or, as we should say, ‘teacher’), “where are you staying?”

1:39  “Come, and you will see,”he replied. So they went, and saw where he was staying, and spent that day with him. It was then about four in the afternoon.

1:40  One of the two, who heard what John said and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

1:41  He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him: “We have found the Messiah!” (a word which means ‘Christ,’ or ‘Consecrated’.)

1:42  Then he brought him to Jesus. Looking straight at him, Jesus said: “You are Simon, the son of John; you will be called Cephas”(which means ‘Peter,’ or ‘Rock’).

1:43  The following day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip, and said to him: “Follow me.”

1:44  Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

1:45  He found Nathanael and said to him: “We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the law, and of whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph’s son!”

1:46  “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” asked Nathanael. “Come and see,” replied Philip.

1:47  When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said: “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!”

1:48  “How do you know me?” asked Nathanael. “Even before Philip called you,”replied Jesus, “when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

1:49  “Rabbi,” Nathanael exclaimed, “you are the Son of God, you are king of Israel!”

1:50  “Do you believe in me,”asked Jesus, “because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than those!

1:51  In truth I tell you,”he added, “you will all see heaven open, and ‘the angels of God ascending and descending’ on the Son of Man.”