John 1

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. 4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8He was not the light, but came to bear witness of the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made 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 received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15John bore witness of him and cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.’" 16And from his fullness have we all received, grace upon grace. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.

19Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ." 21And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" And he answered, "No." 22Then they said to him, "Who are you? Give us an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23He said, "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord, ‘as the prophet Isaiah said." 24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, "Then why do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" 26John answered them, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27It is he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." 28This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.’ 31I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. 33I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." 35Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples. 36And he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

37The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?" 39He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying; and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means the Christ). 42He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas" (which means Peter).

43The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." 46And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!" 48Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." 49Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" 50Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these." 51And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."