1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same (Jesus) was with God in the beginning. 3All things were made (created) by Him; and without Him nothing was created. 4In Him was life; and that life was the light of all mankind. 5And the light shined in darkness; and the darkness shall never overcome it. 6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness, to testify of the Light, that through him all men might believe. 8He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to testify of that Light. 9That true Light, which lights every man, was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made by Him, the world did not recognize or acknowledge Him. 11He came to His own people, and His own people did not receive (welcome) Him. 12But as many as did welcome Him, to them He gave power (privilege) to become the sons (children) of God, - those that did believe in His name, 13Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the impulse of man, but a rebirth that comes from God. 14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we have seen His glory, the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John bore witness of Him, and proclaimed to the crowds, “This is He of Whom I said, ‘He Who is coming after me is preferred before me; for He was (existed) before me.’ 16And out of His fullness we have all received one gracious blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18No man has ever seen God; but the only begotten Son, Who Himself is God, and is at the Father‘s side, He has revealed Him to us.” 19And this is the testimony of John (the Baptist), when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20He did not deny, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “Who, then, are you? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you that prophet we are awaiting?” And he answered, “No.” 22Then they again asked him, “Who, then, are you? That we may report back to those that sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23Then John replied, in the words of Isaiah, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight (clear) the way for the Lord. (Is.40:3)’” 24And then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, 25 “Why, then, do you baptize, if you are not that Christ, nor Elijah, nor that prophet?” 26John answered, “I baptize with water; but there stands One among you, Whom you do not know; 27He it is, Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the latchet (laces) of Whose’ shoes I am not worthy to loosen.” 28This all happened in Bethabara (Bethany) beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and he 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 is far greater than I.’; For He was (existed long) before me. 31And I, myself, did not know (recognize) Him as the Messiah; but that is the reason I have come baptizing with water - that He might be made manifest (revealed) to Israel.” 32And John bore record (gave this testimony), “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained upon Him. 33And I did not know Him; but God, Who sent me to baptize with water, had said to me, ‘Upon Whom you shall see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, That is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I have seen, and bear record (testify) that this is the Son of God.” 35The next day, John was there again with two of his disciples; 36And when he saw Jesus as He passed by, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!” 37And when his two disciples heard him say that, they followed Jesus. 38And when Jesus saw them following, He turned, and said to them, “What do you want?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (Master or Teacher), where are You staying?” 39He said, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He dwelt, and stayed with Him that day; for it was about the tenth hour (4PM). 40One of the two, who heard John’s words and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41And the first thing that Andrew did was to find his own brother, Simon, and say to him, “We have found the Messiah”, which means, “the Christ.” 42And he brought Simon to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, He said, “You are Simon, the son of Jonah (John); you shall be called Cephas”, which, when translated, means “A stone”. 43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee, and finding Philip, He said to him, “Follow Me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip went and found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found Him, of Whom Moses, in the law, and the prophets, wrote - Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Joseph.” 46And Nathanael said to him, “Nazareth! Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47And when Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no guile (deceit)!” 48Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel.” 50Jesus replied, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree.’, you believe? You shall see far greater things than these.” 51And He said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, ‘Hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.’” Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |