John 1

Modern

Literal

The Beginning

¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

²He was with God in the beginning.

²This One was in the beginning with God.

³Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

³All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

⁴In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

⁵The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^a it.

⁵And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

The Witness of John

⁶There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John.

⁶There was a man sent from God; His name was John.

⁷He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.

⁷This one came for testimony, so that he might testify concerning the Light, so that all might believe through him.

⁸He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

⁸That one was not the Light, but it is so that he might testify concerning the Light.

⁹The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

⁹The true Light who enlightens every man was coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him.

¹¹He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

¹²But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

¹²But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become children of God—to those believing in His name,

¹³children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

¹³who were born not of blood, nor of will of flesh, nor of will of man, but of God.

The Word Became Flesh

¹⁴The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.^a We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son^b from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John testified 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.’”

¹⁵John testifies concerning Him, and he has cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘The One coming after me has precedence over me, because He was before me.’”

¹⁶From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

¹⁶For from His fullness we all received also grace upon grace.

¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and^a is at the Father’s side,^b has made Him known.

¹⁸No one has ever yet seen God. The only begotten God, the One being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known.

The Mission of John the Baptist

¹⁹And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

¹⁹And this is the testimony of John when the Jews of Jerusalem sent to him priests and Levites so that they might ask him, “Who are you?”

²⁰He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”

²⁰And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

²¹“Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

²¹And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he says, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

²²So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²²Therefore they said to him, “Who are you, so that we might give an answer to those having sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

²³John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet:

“I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”^a

²³He was saying, “I am a voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as Isaiah the prophet said.”

²⁴Then the Pharisees who had been sent

²⁴And ones having been sent were from the Pharisees,

²⁵asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁵and they asked him and said to him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶“I baptize with^a water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.

²⁶John answered them, saying, “I baptize in water, but in the midst of you stands One whom you do not know,

²⁷He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

²⁷the One coming after me, of whom I am not worthy that I should loose the strap of His sandal.”

²⁸All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁸These things came to pass in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God

²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

²⁹On the next day he sees Jesus coming to him and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, the One taking away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’

³⁰This is the One concerning whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who has precedence over me, because He was before me.’

³¹I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”

³¹And I did not know Him, but so that He might be revealed to Israel, because of this, I came baptizing in water.”

³²Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.

³²And John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it remained upon Him.

³³I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

³³And I did not know Him, but the One having sent me to baptize in water, He said to me, ‘Upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One baptizing in the Holy Spirit.’

³⁴I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”^a

³⁴And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

The First Disciples

³⁵The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.

³⁵On the next day John again was standing, and two of his disciples.

³⁶When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁶And having looked at Jesus walking, he says, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

³⁷And the two disciples heard him speaking and followed Jesus.

³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked.

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”

³⁸Then Jesus, having turned and having seen them following, says to them, “What do you seek?” And they said to Him, “Rabbi” (which, being translated, is to say Teacher), “where are You staying?”

³⁹“Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.^a

³⁹He says to them, “Come, and you will see.” Therefore they went and saw where He is staying, and they stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

⁴⁰Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two having heard from John and having followed Him.

⁴¹He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).

⁴¹He first finds his own brother Simon, and he says to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is, being translated, Christ).

⁴²Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).

⁴²He led him to Jesus. Having looked at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon the son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is interpreted, Peter).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

⁴³On the next day He willed to go out into Galilee. And He finds Philip, and Jesus says to him, “Follow Me.”

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

⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, out of the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

⁴⁵Philip finds Nathanael and says to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law—also the prophets—Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.”

⁴⁶“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

⁴⁶And Nathanael said to him, “Is any good thing able to be out of Nazareth?” Philip says to him, “Come and see.”

⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and He says about him, “Behold, truly an Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”

⁴⁸“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

⁴⁸Nathanael says to Him, “From where do You know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip calling you, being under the fig tree, I saw you.”

⁴⁹“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

⁴⁹Nathanael answered Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are King of Israel!”

⁵⁰Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”

⁵⁰Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you that I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

⁵¹Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”^a

⁵¹And He says to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”