1In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.2He was with God in the beginning.3All things were made through him. Nothing that has been made was made without him.4Life was in him, and that life was the light for all people.5The light shines in the darkness. But the darkness has not overcome the light.6There was a man sent from God. His name was John.7He came to be a witness about that light. He was a witness so that all people might believe.8John himself was not the light. He came only as a witness to the light.9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.10The Word was in the world. And the world was made through him. But the world did not recognise him.11He came to what was his own. But his own people did not accept him.12Some people did accept him and did believe in his name. He gave them the right to become children of God.13To be a child of God has nothing to do with human parents. Children of God are not born because of human choice or because a husband wants them to be born. They are born because of what God does.14The Word became a human being. He made his home with us. We have seen his glory. It is the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father. And the Word was full of grace and truth.15John was a witness about the Word. John cried out and said, ‘This was the one I was talking about. I said, “He who comes after me is more important than I am. He is more important because he existed before I was born.” ’16God is full of grace. From him we have all received grace in place of the grace already given.17In the past, God gave us grace through the law of Moses. Now, grace and truth come to us through Jesus Christ.18No one has ever seen God. But the One and Only is God and is at the Father’s side. The one at the Father’s side has shown us what God is like.
John the Baptist says that he is not the Messiah
19The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask John who he was. John spoke the truth to them.20He did not try to hide the truth. He spoke to them openly. He said, ‘I am not the Messiah.’21They asked him, ‘Then who are you? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet we’ve been expecting?’ they asked. ‘No’, he answered.22They asked one last time, ‘Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’23John replied, using the words of Isaiah the prophet. John said, ‘I’m the messenger who is calling out in the desert, “Make the way for the Lord straight.” ’ (Isa 40:3)24The Pharisees who had been sent25asked him, ‘If you are not the Messiah, why are you baptising people? Why are you doing that if you aren’t Elijah or the Prophet we’ve been expecting?’26‘I baptise people with water,’ John replied. ‘But someone is standing among you whom you do not know.27He is the one who comes after me. I am not good enough to untie his sandals.’28This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the River Jordan. That was where John was baptising.
What John says about Jesus
29The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him. John said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God! He takes away the sin of the world!30This is the one I was talking about. I said, “A man who comes after me is more important than I am. That’s because he existed before I was born.”31I did not know him. But God wants to make it clear to Israel who this person is. That’s the reason I came baptising with water.’32Then John told them, ‘I saw the Holy Spirit come down from heaven like a dove. The Spirit remained on Jesus.33I myself did not know him. But the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and remain on someone. He is the one who will baptise with the Holy Spirit.”34I have seen it happen. I am a witness that this is God’s Chosen One.’
John’s disciples follow Jesus
35The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.36He saw Jesus walking by. John said, ‘Look! The Lamb of God!’37The two disciples heard him say this. So they followed Jesus.38Then Jesus turned round and saw them following. He asked, ‘What do you want?’ They said, ‘Rabbi, where are you staying?’ Rabbi means Teacher.39‘Come’, he replied. ‘You will see.’ So they went and saw where he was staying. They spent the rest of the day with him. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.40Andrew was Simon Peter’s brother. Andrew was one of the two disciples who heard what John had said. He had also followed Jesus.41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon. He told him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’ Messiah means Christ.42And he brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas.’ Cephas means Peter, or Rock.
Jesus chooses Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’44Philip was from the town of Bethsaida. So were Andrew and Peter.45Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the Law. The prophets also wrote about him. He is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’46‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip.47Jesus saw Nathanael approaching. Here is what Jesus said about him. ‘He is a true Israelite. Nothing about him is false.’48‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree. I saw you there before Philip called you.’49Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the king of Israel.’50Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’51Then he said to the disciples, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. You will see heaven open. You will see the angels of God going up and coming down on the Son of Man.’
6Яви се човек, изпратен от Бога, на име Йоан. (Mal 3:1; Mt 3:1; Lu 3:2; Joh 1:33)7Той дойде за свидетелство, да свидетелства за Светлината, за да повярват всички чрез него. (Ac 19:4)8Той не беше светлината, но дойде да свидетелства за Светлината.
19И това е свидетелството, което Йоан даде, когато юдеите пратиха до него свещеници и левити от Йерусалим да го попитат: Ти кой си? (Mt 3:1; Mr 1:1; Lu 3:1; Joh 5:33)20Той изповяда и не отрече, а изповяда: Не съм аз Христос[3]. (De 18:15; De 18:18; Mal 4:5; Mt 17:10; Lu 3:15)21И го попитаха: Тогава кой си ти? Илия ли си? Той каза: Не съм. Пророкът ли си? И отговори: Не съм.22Тогава му казаха: Кой си, за да дадем отговор на онези, които са ни пратили. Какво казваш за себе си?23Той каза: Аз съм „глас на един, който вика в пустинята: Прав направете пътя за Господа“, както каза пророк Исая. (Isa 40:3; Mt 3:3; Mr 1:3; Lu 3:4; Joh 3:28)24А изпратените бяха от фарисеите.25И го попитаха: А защо кръщаваш, ако не си Христос, нито Илия, нито Пророкът?26Йоан им отговори: Аз кръщавам с вода. Но сред вас стои Един, Когото вие не познавате. (Mal 3:1; Mt 3:11)27Този, Който идва след мене, Който беше преди мене, на Когото аз не съм достоен да развържа ремъка на сандалите Му. (Joh 1:15; Joh 1:30; Ac 19:4)28Това стана във Витания[4] отвъд Йордан, където Йоан кръщаваше. (Jud 7:24; Joh 10:40)29На следващия ден Йоан видя Исус, че идва към него, и каза: Ето Божия Агнец, Който поема греха на света! (Ex 12:3; Isa 53:7; Isa 53:11; Joh 1:36; Ac 8:32; 1Co 15:3; Ga 1:4; Heb 1:3; Heb 2:17; Heb 9:28; 1Pe 1:19; 1Pe 2:24; 1Pe 3:18; 1Jo 2:2; 1Jo 3:5; 1Jo 4:10; Re 1:5; Re 5:6)30Този е, за Когото казах: След мен идва Човек, Който стана по-горен от мене[5], защото е бил преди мен. (Joh 1:15; Joh 1:27)31И аз не Го познавах; но дойдох и кръщавам с вода, за да бъде Той изявен на Израил. (Mal 3:1; Mt 3:6; Mr 1:4; Lu 1:17; Lu 1:76; Lu 1:77; Lu 3:3; Lu 3:4)32И Йоан свидетелства, като каза: Видях Духът да слиза като гълъб от небето и да почива върху Него. (Mt 3:16; Mr 1:10; Lu 3:22; Joh 5:32; Joh 6:27)33И аз не Го познавах; но Онзи, Който ме прати да кръщавам с вода, Той ми каза: Онзи, над Когото видиш да слиза Духът и да почива върху Него, Той е, Който кръщава със Святия Дух. (Mt 3:11; Ac 1:5; Ac 2:4; Ac 10:44; Ac 19:6)34И видях и свидетелствам, че Този е Божият Син.
Първите апостоли
35На следващия ден Йоан пак стоеше с двама от учениците си. (Mt 4:18; Mr 1:16)36И като видя Исус, когато минаваше, каза: Ето Божия Агнец! (Joh 1:29)37И двамата ученици го чуха да говори така и отидоха след Исус.38А Исус, като се обърна и видя, че идват след Него, ги попита: Какво търсите? А те Му казаха: Равви (което значи Учителю), къде живееш?39Каза им: Елате и ще видите. И така, дойдоха и видяха къде живее, и този ден останаха при Него. Беше около десетия час.40Единият от двамата, които чуха от Йоан за Него и Го последваха, беше Андрей, брат на Симон Петър. (Mt 4:18)41Той първо намери своя брат Симон и му каза: Намерихме Месия (което значи Христос).42Като го заведе при Исус, Той се вгледа в него и каза: Ти си Симон, син на Йона; ти ще се наричаш Кифа (което значи Петър[6]). (Mt 16:18)43На другия ден Исус реши да отиде в Галилея; и намери Филип и му каза: Ела след Мен.44А Филип беше от Витсаида, от града на Андрей и Петър. (Joh 12:21)45Филип намери Натанаил и му каза: Намерихме Онзи, за Когото писа Моисей в закона и за Когото писаха пророците, Исус, Йосифовия син, Който е от Назарет. (Ge 3:15; Ge 49:10; De 18:15; De 18:18; Ps 40:8; Isa 4:2; Isa 7:14; Isa 9:6; Isa 40:11; Isa 45:8; Isa 53:1; Jer 23:5; Jer 33:14; Eze 34:23; Eze 37:24; Da 9:24; Mic 5:2; Zec 6:12; Zec 9:9; Mt 2:23; Lu 2:4; Lu 24:27)46Натанаил му каза: От Назарет може ли да произлезе нещо добро? Филип му отвърна: Ела и виж. (Joh 7:41; Joh 7:42; Joh 7:52)47Исус видя Натанаил да идва към Него и каза за него: Ето истински израилтянин, у когото няма лукавство. (Ps 32:2; Ps 73:1; Joh 8:39; Ro 2:28; Ro 2:29; Ro 9:6)48Натанаил Го попита: Откъде ме познаваш? Исус му отговори: Преди да те повика Филип, те видях, когато беше под смокинята.49Натанаил му каза: Учителю, Ти си Божият Син, Ти си Израилевият Цар. (Mt 14:33; Mt 21:5; Mt 27:11; Mt 27:42; Joh 18:37; Joh 19:3)50Исус му отговори: Понеже ти казах: Видях те под смокинята, затова ли вярваш? Повече от това ще видиш.51И му каза: Истина, истина ви казвам: Отсега ще виждате небето отворено и Божиите ангели да се възкачват и слизат над Човешкия Син. (Ge 28:12; Lu 2:9; Lu 2:13; Lu 22:43; Lu 24:4; Ac 1:10)