John

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1In the very beginning there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2The same was in the beginning with God.

2This same Word was with God in the beginning.

3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

3Everything was made through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.

4In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

4Life was in him, and that life was the light of everyone.

5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has never put it out.

Note"The darkness comprehended it not" is doing two jobs at once. The Greek word means both did not understand and did not overcome, and the sentence is built to carry both.

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

6God sent a man named John.

7The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

7He came as a witness, to tell people about the Light, so that everyone might believe because of what he said.

8He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

8He was not the Light himself. He was sent to tell people about it.

9That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

9The real Light, the one that gives light to every person, was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

10He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him.

11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

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

12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

12But to everyone who did welcome him, to those who trusted who he was, he gave the right to become children of God.

13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

13They were not born from blood, or from what a body wants, or from what a man decides. They were born of God.

14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

14The Word became a human being and lived here among us. We saw his glory with our own eyes, the glory of the Father's one and only Son, full of grace and truth.

15John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

15John told people about him. He called out, "This is the one I meant when I said, 'The man coming after me ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.'"

Note"Preferred before me" means ranks higher than me. It is not about someone's preference.

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

16Out of everything he has, all of us have received one kindness after another.

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

17The law came through Moses. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

18No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

18Nobody has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is closest to the Father's heart, is the one who has shown us what God is like.

19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

19Here is what John said when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

20He did not dodge the question. He said plainly, "I am not the Christ."

21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

21So they asked, "Then what are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."

22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

22So they said, "Then who are you? Give us an answer to take back to the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

23He said, "I am a voice shouting in the desert, 'Make the road straight for the Lord,' just as the prophet Isaiah said."

24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

24The men who had been sent were Pharisees.

25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

25They asked him, "If you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the Prophet, then why are you baptizing people?"

26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

26John answered, "I baptize with water. But there is someone standing right here among you, and you do not know who he is.

27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

27He is the one coming after me, and he ranks above me. I am not good enough to untie the strap of his sandal."

28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

28All of this happened at Bethany on the far side of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.

29The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

29The next day John saw Jesus walking toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

30This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.'

31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

31I did not know who he was myself. But I came baptizing with water so that he would be shown to Israel."

32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

32Then John gave his account: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and stay on him.

33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

33I did not know him myself. But the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man you see the Spirit come down and stay on is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.'

34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

34I saw it happen, and I am telling you that this is the Son of God."

35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

35The next day John was standing there again with two of his followers.

36And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

36He watched Jesus walk by and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

37The two followers heard him say it, and they went after Jesus.

38Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

38Jesus turned around, saw them following, and asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi, where are you staying?" (Rabbi means Teacher.)

39He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

39He said, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

Note"The tenth hour" counts from about six in the morning, which puts this at roughly four in the afternoon.

40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

40One of the two who had heard John and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

41The first thing Andrew did was find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah." (Messiah means the same as Christ.)

42And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

42He brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas." (Cephas means a rock.)

43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

44Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town Andrew and Peter came from.

45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the man Moses wrote about in the law, the one the prophets wrote about too. He is Jesus of Nazareth, Joseph's son."

46And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

46Nathanael said, "Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?" Philip said, "Come and see for yourself."

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

47Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, "Here is a true Israelite. There is nothing false in him."

48Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

48Nathanael asked, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you."

49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

49Nathanael said, "Teacher, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel."

50Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

50Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You are going to see far greater things than that."

51And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

51Then he said, "I am telling you the truth: you will see heaven opened, and God's angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man."

Note"Verily, verily" is the King James rendering of a phrase Jesus used to flag that what follows is important. In plain English it is closer to "listen, this is true."