John 1

 

1 In the beginning (Alpha and Omega already) was the Word (for He is the beginning of all things, the first and the last), and the Word was (always) with God, and the Word was (and will forever be) God (the source of all things which do appear).

John

2 The same (Word that) was (there) in the beginning with God.

 

3 All things have come into being by Him and without Him, has there not even been one thing that has come into being, that was not created by Him.

4 In Him is (the only source of an incorruptible) life, and the life (that manifested in immortal flesh) is (the Word of life) the light for all mankind.

5 And the light (of His life) shined in the darkness; and the (death and) darkness (in the world) could not overcome it.

 

6 There was a man named John who was sent by God (as one crying out in the wilderness).

 

7 The same John was sent as a witness to testify of the Light, (telling men of the One who would come after him), so that they all might believe in Him.

 

8 He was not the Light but was sent as a witness that he might testify of that Light (that would come in flesh).

 

9 That this was the true Light (the Word of life that was from the beginning), (that has come from God), that lights every man who has come into the world.

10 The same Word that is One with God, and is God, who came into the world which He created, was not known (or recognized) by the world as God.

 

11 He came to (give life to) His own (children, the ones He created in His image that they might after appear in His likeness), but His own (kind) received Him not.

 

12 But as many as will receive (and lay hold of) Him; (being fully persuaded by the Word of life which He has spoken of them and) to them, will (thereby) receive strength (from Him) to appear in history as the sons of God, having believed on Him who has surnamed them His sons:

 

13 Which were born, not of blood (that perishes in corruption), or of (the lust of) the flesh (for life) by the strength of a man but (only from of the Spirit) of (the living) God.

 

14 And the Word (that was from the beginning) came in the flesh and dwelt among us (Emmanuel, God with us), and we beheld Him in all His glory, as the only One (sent) of the Father, in the fullness of His grace and truth.

 

15 John witnessed concerning Him, and cried saying, this is He who I said comes after me but has precedence over me, for He existed before me (in perpetuity with the Father but now is manifested unto us).

 

16 And of His fullness have we received (all the same from the Father), who (from the beginning) has (only ever) given us grace upon grace.

 

17 For the law was delivered by Moses (from God through the hands of angels) but the spirit (contained in the law) came by Jesus Christ, (the Word made flesh), (revealing that it was always) filled with grace and truth.

 

18 No man has seen God (as Father) at any time; the only begotten Son, who is (and has always been) in the bosom of the Father (from all eternity), (the express image of the Father made flesh), He (is the One who) has declared Him (so that we may know Him as Father).

19 And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, are you the Christ?

 

20 And he told them plainly and did not deny; but said, I am not the Christ.

 

21 And they persisted to question, What are you then? Are you Elijah? And he said no. Are you a prophet? And again, he said no.

 

22 Then they said, who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?

 

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare you the way of the Lord (for He will make straight all that death has gotten crooked, turning our hearts back to our God), as said the prophet, Isaiah.

 

24 And those that were sent were of the Pharisees.

 

25 And they asked him, why do you baptize then? If you are not the Christ or Elijah or a prophet?

 

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with (the) water (of repentance from trusting in the strength of your own hands, where you look to God and His strength alone to father your life): but there is one that stands among you, who you do not know;

 

27 It is He who comes after me whose baptism (exceeds in glory and) is preferred above mine, for He will baptize with the Holy Ghost (unto an incorruptible life), whose shoe's laces it is not fitting for me to unloose (serving Him but rather I need Him to serve me with His life).

 

28 These things happened in Bethany (which means house of affliction, signifying the affliction of our death which Jesus was baptized into), across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

 

29 The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says Behold the One in Whom God has provided Himself, the Lamb, which takes away the (sting of) death of the world.

 

30 This is the One of whom I spoke of saying, He that comes after me has precedence over me.

 

31 And although I did not know Him: but (I knew with certainty from the One who sent me) that He (was sent from Him and) would be manifest to all of Israel, and for this reason, I have come (to turn men’s hearts back to God) baptizing with water (of repentance).

 

32 And John bear witness, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove in bodily form, lighting (and remaining) on Him.

 

33 And although I did not know Him; He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said to me, the One upon whom you see the Spirit descend and remain on, He is the same One who baptizes with the Holy Ghost.

 

34 And I saw and do bear witness that this Jesus is the Son of God.

 

35 Again on the next day, John was standing, with two of his disciples.

 

36 And looking at Jesus as He walked by, he said again, Behold the Lamb of God!

 

37 And the two disciples when they heard what John had said, they followed Jesus.

 

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and said to them, what is it that you desire? They said to Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, Master of or expert teacher of the Torah) where do you live?

 

39 He said to them, Come, see (and learn of Me). They came and saw where He was living, and they stayed with Him all that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

 

40 One of the two disciples which heard John speak those words, and followed Jesus, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

 

41 The first thing that Andrew did was to find his own brother Simon, and said to him, we have found the Messiah, which means, the Christ.

 

42 And when he found him, he led him to Jesus. And when Jesus looked at him, He said, you are Simon the son of Jonah: you will be called Cephas, which means, (Peter) a (small) stone.

 

43 The day after, Jesus desired to go to Galilee, and there He searched for and found Philip, and said to him, Follow Me.

 

44 Now Philip lived in the city of Bethsaida, the city where Andrew and Peter resided.

 

45 Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, we have found the One that Moses in the law and the prophets, did (speak and) write about, Jesus of Nazareth, (who was supposed to be the son of Joseph).

 

46 And Nathanael said to him, can anything good, (much less the Messiah), come from Nazareth? Philip said to him, come and see for yourself.

 

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, behold an Israelite who seeks the truth indeed, and in whom there is no (trickery or) deceit.

 

48 Nathanael said to Him, where do you know me from, that you could have perceived this about me? And Jesus answered and said to him, before Philip ever called for you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you (in all your innocence).

 

49 Nathanael answered and said to him, Rabbi, certainly you are the Son of God; you are the King of  Israel.

 

50 Jesus answered and said to him, just because I said to you, that I saw you (when you were still) under the fig tree, you believe? Surely, you will see greater works (from the Father) testifying of Me than this (so that men might believe I am the Christ).

 

51 And He said to him, with absolute certainty I say to you, from this point forward you will see heaven opened to Me; (and like the ladder which Jacob saw, prophesying of Me), the angels of God ascending and descending on Me, the Son of man.