John 1:12-24

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.

¹⁹When the religious authorities in Jerusalem sent some Priests and Levites to ask John — “Who are you?”,

²⁰he told them clearly and simply, “I am not the Christ.”

²¹“What then?” they asked. “Are you Elijah?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” “Are you ‘the prophet’?” He answered, “No.”

²²“Who then are you?” they continued; “tell us so that we have an answer to give to those who have sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

²³“I,” he answered, “am — ‘The voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness: make a straight road for the Lord’, as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴These men had been sent from the Pharisees;