Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
John 1
The Word
In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.
He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him,
and apart from him not one thing came into being.
In him was life,
and the life was the light of humanity.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to testify about the light, so that all might trust through him.
He was not the light, but came to testify about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world,
and the world came into being through him,
yet the world did not know him.
He came to his own,
and his own did not receive him.
But to all who received him,
who trusted in his name,
he gave authority to become children of God—
those who were born,
not from blood,
nor from the will of flesh,
nor from the will of a man,
but from God.
The Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
We saw his glory,
glory as of the Father’s one and only Son,
full of grace and truth.
John testified about him and cried out, “This is the one I spoke about: ‘The one coming after me has come before me, because he existed before me.’”
From his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace.
For the Law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God.
The one and only God,
who is close to the Father’s heart,
has made him known.
John’s Witness
This is John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
He confessed and did not deny it. He confessed, “I am not the Christ.”
They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
They said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
He said, “I am
‘a voice crying in the wilderness:
Make straight the way of the Lord,’
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet?”
John answered, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one you do not know,
the one coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.”
These things happened in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I spoke about: ‘After me comes a man who has come before me, because he existed before me.’ I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is God’s Chosen One.”
The First Disciples
The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples. Watching Jesus walk by, he said, “Look—the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. Jesus turned, saw them following, and asked, “What are you looking for?” They said, “Rabbi”—which means Teacher—“where are you staying?” He said, “Come and see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”—which means Christ. He brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas”—which is translated Peter. The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the Prophets too: Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” Nathanael said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said, “Look—truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael asked, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered, “Rabbi, you are God’s Son! You are the King of Israel!” Jesus answered, “Do you trust because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” Then he said, “Truly, truly, I tell you: you will see heaven opened and God’s angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”