John - Chapter 1

Passage

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 were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. In him was life: and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came as a witness, to give testimony of the light, so that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light. That was the true light, which enlightens every man who comes into this world. He was in the world: and the world was made by him: and the world knew him not. He came to his own: and his own received him not. But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to those who believe in his name. Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. John bears witness of him and cries out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He who shall come after me is preferred before me: because he was before me. And of his fullness we have all received: and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time: the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who are you? And he confessed and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ. And they asked him: What then? Are you Elias? And he said: I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered: No. They said therefore to him: Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say of yourself? He said: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah. And those who had been sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him and said to him: Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? John answered them, saying: I baptize with water: but there has stood one in your midst whom you do not know. He is the one who shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him; and he said: Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said: After me there comes a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me. And I did not know him: but so that he may be made known to Israel, that is why I have come baptizing with water. And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down like a dove from heaven; and he remained upon him. And I did not know him: but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me: He upon whom you shall see the Spirit descending and remaining, he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I saw: and I gave testimony that this is the Son of God. The next day again John was standing there with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as he walked, he said: Behold the Lamb of God. And the two disciples heard him speak: and they followed Jesus. And Jesus, turning and seeing them following him, said to them: What are you looking for? They said to him: Rabbi (which means, translated, Master), where do you live? He said to them: Come and see. They came and saw where he lived: and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour. And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard John and followed him. He first found his brother Simon and said to him: We have found the Messias, which is, translated, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus, looking at him, said: You are Simon the son of Jona. You shall be called Cephas, which is translated Peter. On the following day, he wanted to go into Galilee: and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him: Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth. And Nathanael said to him: Can anything good come from Nazareth? Philip said to him: Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and he said of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. Nathanael said to him: How do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him: Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you. Nathanael answered him and said: Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe: you shall see greater things than these. And he said to him: Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.