The Beginning (Genesis 1:1–2; Hebrews 11:1–3)
2 UDB He was with God before he began to create anything. BSB BSB: He was with God in the beginning.
4 UDB All life is in the Word, so he could give life to everything and everyone. The Word was God's light that shone on everyone, everywhere. BSB BSB: In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
5 UDB This light shone in the darkness, and the darkness tried to put it out, but it could not. BSB BSB: The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The Witness of John 7 UDB He came to testify to the people about the light. What he said was true, and he proclaimed that message so that everyone might believe. BSB BSB: He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.
8 UDB John himself was not the light, but he came to tell people about the light. BSB BSB: He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 UDB This was the true light that shines upon everyone, and that light was coming into the world. BSB BSB: The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
10 UDB The Word was in the world and, although he had made the world, none of its people knew who he was. BSB BSB: He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
11 UDB Although he came to the world he owned, and even to his own people, the Jews, they rejected him. BSB BSB: He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
12 UDB But all who took him into their lives and trusted in him, to them he gave the right to become God's children. BSB BSB: But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—
13 UDB These are children born from God. They were not born by means of a normal human birth, nor out of a human desire or choice, nor because of a husband's desire to become a father. BSB BSB: children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.
The Word Became Flesh (Psalm 84:1–12)
15 UDB One day John the Baptizer was telling people about the Word, and Jesus came to him. John shouted to the crowd around him, "I told you someone would come after me, someone who is much more important than I am. He existed long before me, eternal ages before I was born. This man here! This is that man I was talking about!" BSB BSB: John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”
16 UDB We have all benefited very much from what he has done. Again and again, he has acted very kindly toward us. BSB BSB: From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.
17 UDB God gave Moses his law. That law showed us our failures and sin. But how much greater is the person and work of Jesus Christ. He was kind and forgiving to us when we had broken God's law, and he forgave us, and he taught us the truth about God. BSB BSB: For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The Mission of John the Baptist (Isaiah 40:1–5; Matthew 3:1–12; Mark 1:1–8; Luke 3:1–20)
19 UDB This is what John gave as his testimony: The Jews sent priests and the Levites from Jerusalem; they came to ask John, "Who are you?" BSB BSB: And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 UDB So John testified to them and said, "I am not the Christ!" BSB BSB: He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”
22 UDB So they asked him once more, "Then who do you claim to be? Tell us so that we can go back and report to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" BSB BSB: So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 UDB He answered as Isaiah the prophet had written, "I am the one shouting in the wilderness, 'Make the road good for the Lord to come to us.'" BSB BSB: John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
24 UDB Some of these people came to John from the Pharisees. BSB BSB: Then the Pharisees who had been sent
25 UDB They asked him, "Since you say you are not the Christ nor Elijah nor the Prophet, then why are you baptizing?" BSB BSB: asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 UDB John replied, "I am baptizing people with water, but there is now someone standing among you whom you do not know. BSB BSB: “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.
27 UDB He follows after me, but I am not important enough even to untie his sandals." BSB BSB: He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 UDB These things happened at the village of Bethany over on the east side of the Jordan River. That is the place where John was baptizing. BSB BSB: All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
Jesus the Lamb of God (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22)
29 UDB The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him. He said to the people, "Look! The Lamb of God, who will give his life as a sacrifice to take away the sins of the world. BSB BSB: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
30 UDB He is the one of whom I said, 'Someone will come after me who is more important than I am because he existed long before me, eternal ages before I was born.' BSB BSB: This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’
31 UDB I did not know him at first, but now I know who he is. My work was to come and baptize with water those who were sorry and turned from their sins. I want the people of Israel to know who he is." BSB BSB: I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”
32 UDB It was John's work to tell us what he saw. He spoke like this: "I saw God's Spirit as he was descending from heaven in the form of a dove. The Spirit came down and remained on Jesus. BSB BSB: Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.
33 UDB At first, I myself did not know him, but God sent me to baptize people with water, people who said they wanted to turn from their sinful ways. God told me, 'The man on whom you will see my Spirit descend and remain is the one who will baptize all of you with the Holy Spirit.' BSB BSB: I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
34 UDB I have seen and I bear witness to you that he is the Son of God." BSB BSB: I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
The First Disciples (Matthew 4:18–22; Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11)
35 UDB John the Baptizer was at the same place again the next day with two of his disciples. BSB BSB: The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 UDB When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look! The Lamb of God, the man whom God appointed to give his life, like a lamb killed by the people of Israel as a payment for their sins!" BSB BSB: When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37 UDB The two disciples of John, when they heard John, left John and followed him. BSB BSB: And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
38 UDB Jesus turned around and saw them following him, and he asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi (which means 'teacher'), tell us where you are staying." BSB BSB: Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”
39 UDB He replied, "Come with me, and you will see!" So they came and saw where Jesus was staying. They stayed with him that day because it was getting late. (It was about 4 pm.) BSB BSB: “Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.
40 UDB One of those two disciples who followed Jesus was named Andrew; he was Simon Peter's brother. BSB BSB: Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.
41 UDB Andrew first went off to find his brother Simon. When he came to him, he said, "We have found the Messiah (which means Christ)!" BSB BSB: He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).
42 UDB Andrew took Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked intently at Peter and said, "You are Simon. Your father's name is John. You will be given the name Cephas." Cephas is an Aramaic name that means 'solid rock.' ('Peter' means the same thing in Greek.) BSB BSB: Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael 43 UDB The next day Jesus decided to leave the Jordan River valley. He went to the region around Galilee and found a man named Philip. Jesus said to him, "Come with me." BSB BSB: The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”
45 UDB Then Philip went to search for his friend Nathaniel. When he came to him, he said, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, the one called Christ. The prophets prophesied that he would come. His name is Jesus. He is from the town of Nazareth. His father's name is Joseph." BSB BSB: Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 UDB Nathaniel replied, "From Nazareth? Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip replied, "Come and you will see!" BSB BSB: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.
47 UDB When Jesus saw Nathaniel approaching, he said this about him: "Look there! There is an Israelite who never deceives anyone!" BSB BSB: When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”
48 UDB Nathaniel asked him, "How do you know what kind of man I am? You do not know me." Jesus replied, "I saw you before Philip called you, when you were sitting by yourself under the fig tree." BSB BSB: “How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 UDB Then Nathaniel declared, "Teacher, you must be the Son of God! You are the King of Israel we have been waiting for!" BSB BSB: “Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
50 UDB Jesus replied to him, "Do you trust in me just because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see me do things that are much greater than that!" BSB BSB: Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”
51 UDB Then Jesus said to him, "I am telling you the truth: Just like the vision your ancestor Jacob long ago saw, you also will see heaven opened up and you will see God's angels going up and coming down on me, the Son of Man." BSB BSB: Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”