The Word Became Flesh

¹aIn the beginning was bthe Word, and cthe Word was with God, and dthe Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³eAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴fIn him was life,1 and gthe life was the light of men. ⁵hThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶There was a man isent from God, whose name was jJohn. ⁷He came as a kwitness, to bear witness about the light, lthat all might believe through him. ⁸mHe was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹nThe true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet othe world did not know him. ¹¹He came to phis own,2 and qhis own people3 rdid not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, swho believed in his name, the gave the right uto become vchildren of God, ¹³who wwere born, xnot of blood ynor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴And zthe Word abecame flesh and bdwelt among us, cand we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son4 from the Father, full of dgrace and etruth. ¹⁵(fJohn bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, g‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶For from hhis fullness we have all received, igrace upon grace.5 ¹⁷For jthe law was given through Moses; kgrace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸lNo one has ever seen God; mthe only God,6 who is at the Father's side,7 nhe has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

¹⁹And this is the otestimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, p“Who are you?” ²⁰qHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” ²¹And they asked him, “What then? rAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you sthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” ²²So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” ²³He said, “I am tthe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight8 the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴(Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) ²⁵They asked him, u“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, v“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, ²⁷even whe who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” ²⁸These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

²⁹The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, xthe Lamb of God, who ytakes away the sin zof the world! ³⁰This is he of whom I said, a‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹I myself did not know him, but bfor this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³²And John cbore witness: d“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and eit remained on him. ³³I myself did not know him, but fhe who sent me to baptize gwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, hthis is he who baptizes gwith the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son9 of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

³⁵The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ithe Lamb of God!” ³⁷The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, j“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, k“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.10 ⁴⁰lOne of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus11 was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. ⁴¹He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found mthe Messiah” (which means Christ). ⁴²He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of nJohn. You shall be called oCephas” (which means pPeter12).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

⁴³qThe next day Jesus decided rto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” ⁴⁴Now sPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵Philip found tNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom uMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus vof Nazareth, wthe son of Joseph.” ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, x“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, yan Israelite indeed, zin whom there is no deceit!” ⁴⁸Nathanael said to him, “How ado you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” ⁴⁹Nathanael answered him, b“Rabbi, cyou are the Son of God! You are the dKing of Israel!” ⁵⁰Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.”

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