A modern English translation drawn directly from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Translated word-for-word where possible, by a committee with scholarly oversight.
Uses the same source texts as the ESV, NASB, and most academic Bibles, including the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and the Nestle-Aland critical edition.
John 1
John 1 is the opening chapter of the forty-third book of the Bible. The 51-verse chapter contains the famous poetic prologue identifying Jesus as the eternal Word, then describes John the Baptist's testimony and the calling of the first disciples.
The chapter opens with one of the most famous passages in the Bible: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The prologue continues through verse 18. The Word was the source of life and the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. From his fullness all believers have received grace upon grace.
The chapter then turns to John the Baptist. He is questioned by priests and Levites from Jerusalem about his identity. He denies being the Messiah, Elijah, or the Prophet. He says he is the voice of one calling in the wilderness, quoting Isaiah, and that he baptizes with water, but that one stands among them whom they do not know.
The next day, John sees Jesus approaching and says: "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." John testifies that he saw the Spirit descend on Jesus like a dove.
The chapter closes with the calling of the first disciples. Two of John's disciples follow Jesus after John's testimony; one is Andrew. Andrew finds his brother Simon and brings him to Jesus, who renames him Cephas (which translates as Peter). The next day, Jesus calls Philip, who finds Nathanael. Nathanael is initially skeptical that anything good can come from Nazareth but is convinced after a brief exchange in which Jesus shows he knew him before they met. Nathanael calls Jesus the Son of God and the King of Israel. Jesus promises that they will see greater things, including heaven open and angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.
Verse 1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Verse 2. He was with God in the beginning.
Verse 3. Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
Verse 4. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
Verse 5. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Verse 6. There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John.
Verse 7. He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
Verse 8. He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
Verse 9. The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
Verse 10. He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
Verse 11. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
Verse 12. But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
Verse 13. children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.
Verse 14. The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Verse 15. John 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.’”
Verse 16. From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
Verse 17. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Verse 18. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
Verse 19. And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
Verse 20. He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
Verse 21. “Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
Verse 22. So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
Verse 23. John 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.’”
Verse 24. Then the Pharisees who had been sent
Verse 25. asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
Verse 26. “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
Verse 27. He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
Verse 28. All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Verse 29. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Verse 30. This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’
Verse 31. I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
Verse 32. Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.
Verse 33. I 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.’
Verse 34. I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
Verse 35. The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
Verse 36. When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Verse 37. And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Verse 38. Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
Verse 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.
Verse 40. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
Verse 41. He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).
Verse 42. Andrew 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).
Verse 43. The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”
Verse 44. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.
Verse 45. Philip 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.”
Verse 46. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
Verse 47. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
Verse 48. “How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
Verse 49. “Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Verse 50. Jesus 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.”
Verse 51. Then 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.”
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