John 1:1-18

¹In the beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.

²He was in the beginning with God;

³through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.

⁴That which came into being in him was life; and the life was the light of humanity;

⁵and the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it.

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

⁷he came as a witness — to bear witness to the light so that through him everyone might believe.

⁸He was not the light, but he came to bear witness to the light.

⁹That was the true light which enlightens everyone coming into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world; and through him the world came into being — yet the world did not know him.

¹¹He came to his own — yet his own did not receive him.

¹²But to all who did receive him he gave power to become children of God — to those who believe in his name.

¹³For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to human will did they owe the new life, but to God.

¹⁴And the Word became human, and lived among us, (We saw his glory — the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth.

¹⁵(John bears witness to him; he cried aloud — for it was he who spoke — “He who is coming after me is now before me, for he was ever first”);

¹⁶out of his fullness we have all received some gift, gift after gift of love;

¹⁷for the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No one has ever yet seen God; God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father — He has revealed him.