The Beginning
(Genesis 1:1–2; Hebrews 11:1–3)

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3All things were made through Him, and nothing that was made was made without Him. 4Life was in Him, and Life was the light of men. 5And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Witness of John

6There was a man sent by God, whose name was John. 7He arrived as a witness to offer testimony about the Light, so that all would believe through him. 8He was not the Light, but he was to offer testimony about the Light.

9The true Light, which illuminates every man, was coming into this world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him. 11He went to his own, and his own did not accept him. 12Yet whoever did accept him, those who believed in his name, he gave them the power to become the sons of God. 13These are born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Became Flesh
(Psalm 84:1–12)

14And the Word became flesh, and he lived among us, and we saw his glory, glory like that of an only-begotten son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John offers testimony about him, and he cries out, saying: “This is the one about whom I said: ‘He who is to come after me, has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ ” 16And from his fullness, we all have received, even grace for grace. 17For the law was given though Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one ever saw God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has described him.

The Mission of John the Baptist
(Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20)

19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him, so that they might ask him, “Who are you?” 20And he confessed it and did not deny it; and what he confessed was: “I am not the Christ.” 21And they questioned him: “Then what are you? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22Therefore, they said to him: “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23He said, “I am a voice crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ just as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24And some of those who had been sent were from among the Pharisees. 25And they questioned him and said to him, “Then why do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the Prophet?” 26John answered them by saying: “I baptize with water. But in your midst stands one, whom you do not know. 27The same is he who is to come after me, who has been placed ahead of me, the laces of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen.” 28These things happened in Bethania, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Jesus the Lamb of God
(Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22)

29On the next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and so he said: “Behold, the Lamb of God. Behold, he who takes away the sin of the world. 30This is the one about whom I said, ‘After me arrives a man, who has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31And I did not know him. Yet it is for this reason that I come baptizing with water: so that he may be made manifest in Israel.” 32And John offered testimony, saying: “For I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove; and he remained upon him. 33And I did not know him. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me: ‘He over whom you will see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34And I saw, and I gave testimony: that this one is the Son of God.”

The First Disciples
(Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11)

35The next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36And catching sight of Jesus walking, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” 37And two disciples were listening to him speaking. And they followed Jesus. 38Then Jesus, turning around and seeing them following him, said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi (which means in translation, Teacher), where do you live?” 39He said to them, “Come and see.” They went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour. 40And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard about him from John and had followed him. 41First, he found his brother Simon, and he said to him, “We have found the Messiah,” (which is translated as the Christ). 42And he led him to Jesus. And Jesus, gazing at him, said: “You are Simon, son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas,” (which is translated as Peter).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43On the next day, he wanted to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” 44Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” 46And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and he said about him, “Behold, an Israelite in whom truly there is no deceit.” 48Nathanael said to him, “From where do you know me?” Jesus responded and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49Nathanael answered him and said: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.” 50Jesus responded and said to him: “Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. Greater things than these, you will see.” 51And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man.”