John 1:1-27 ▼

1 THE Word was in the beginning, and that very Word was with God, and God was that Word.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 Everything came to be by his hand; and without him not even one thing came to be of what was created.

4 The life was in him, and the life is the light of men.

5 And the same light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.

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

7 He came as a witness to testify concerning the light, so that every man might believe by means of him.

8 He was not the light, but to testify concerning the light.

9 He was the true light, which lighteth every man who came into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was under his hand, and yet the world knew him not.

11 He came to his own, and his own did not receive him.

12 But those who received him, to them he gave power to become sons of God, especially to those who believed in his name;

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

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, a glory like that of the firstborn of the Father, full of grace and truth.

15 John witnessed concerning him and cried and said, This is the one of whom I said, He is coming after me, and yet he is ahead of me, because he was before me.

16 And of his fulness we have all received, grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses; but truth and grace came into being by Jesus Christ.

18 No man has ever seen God; but the firstborn of God, who is in the bosom of his Father, he has declared him.

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

20 And he confessed and did not deny it; but he declared, I am not the Christ.

21 Then they asked him again, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you a prophet? And he said, No.

22 Then they said to him, Who are you? so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say concerning yourself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Straighten the highway of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.

24 Those who were sent were from the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him and said to him, Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor a prophet?

26 John answered and said to them, I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you do not know;

27 This is the one who comes after me, and is ahead of me, the one even the strings of whose shoes I am not good enough to untie.