1 IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 He was in the beginning with God.

3 All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has come into being.

4 In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.

5 And the Light shone in the darkness, but the darkness did not understand it.

6 There came a man, sent from God. His name was John.

7 He came for testimony, to testify about the Light, that all might believe through him.

8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

9 The true Light, which enlightens every man, was coming into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world had come into being through him, yet the world did not know him.

11 He came to his own things, but his own men did not receive him.

12 All who received him \'97 to them he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,

13 who were born not of blood nor of the will of flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 The Word became flesh and tented among us, and we looked upon his glory, glory as of an only son from a father, full of grace and truth.

15 John bore witness to him and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has become before me, for he was before me.' "

16 For of his fullness we all have received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18 No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has interpreted him.

19 This is the testimony of John when the Jews of Jerusalem sent to him priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?"

20 He confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

21 They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No."

22 They said then, "Who are you? Let us have an answer to give to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 He said, "I am 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord,' as Isaiah the prophet said."

24 The men had been sent from the Pharisees.

25 They asked him, "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ nor Elijah nor the prophet?"

26 John answered them, "I baptize with water. In the midst of you stands one whom you do not know \'97

27 the One who is coming after me \'97 for whom I am not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandal."

28 This happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who has become before me, for he was before me.'

31 I did not know him, but I knew that he was to be shown to Israel. For that reason I came baptizing with water."

32 John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and it remained on him.

33 I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water \'97 he said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining, that is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

34 And I saw it and have borne witness that this 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, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!"

37 The two disciples heard him say this and they followed Jesus.

38 Jesus turned and looked at them as they followed, and said to them, "What do you wish?" They said to him, "Rabbi which means, when translated, Teacher, where are you staying?"

39 He said to them, "Come and see." So they came and saw where he was staying, and stayed with him that day. It was then about four in the afternoon.

40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two that heard about Jesus from John and followed him.

41 He found first his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah which means, when translated, the Christ!"

42 He led him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, "You are Simon, the son of John. You shall be called Cephas"which is in Greek, Peter, that is, Rock.

43 On the next day Jesus decided to go away to Galilee, and he found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

44 Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom Moses wrote in the Law and of whom the prophets wrote \'97 Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

46 Nathanael said to him, "From Nazareth can there be anything good?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said, "See, here is a true Israelite in whom there is no deceit."

48 Nathanael 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."

49 Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel!"

50 Jesus answered him, "Because I said to you, 'I saw you underneath the fig tree,' do you believe? You will see greater things than this."

51 He added, "Truly, truly, I tell you you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."