Joh 1 | ESV | STEP | In the beginning was the Word , and the Word was with God , and the Word was God .

1 ^aIn the beginning was ^bthe Word, and ^cthe Word was with God, and ^dthe Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 ^eAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 ^fIn him was life, ^{▼▼Or was not any thing made. That which has been made was life in him} and ^hthe life was the light of men. 5 ⁱThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man ^jsent from God, whose name was ^kJohn. 7 He came as a ^lwitness, to bear witness about the light, ^mthat all might believe through him. 8 ⁿHe was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 ^o The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet ^pthe world did not know him. 11 He came to ^qhis own, ^{▼▼Greek to his own things; that is, to his own domain, or to his own people} and ^shis own people ^{▼▼People is implied in Greek} ^udid not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, ^vwho believed in his name, ^whe gave the right ^xto become ^ychildren of God, 13 who ^zwere born, ^aanot of blood ^abnor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And ^acthe Word ^adbecame flesh and ^aedwelt among us, ^afand we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of ^aggrace and ^ahtruth. 15 ( ^aiJohn bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ^aj‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 For from ^akhis fullness we have all received, ^algrace upon grace. ^{▼▼Or grace in place of grace} 17 For ^anthe law was given through Moses; ^aograce and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 ^apNo one has ever seen God; ^aqthe only God, ^{▼▼Or the only One, who is God; some manuscripts the only Son} who is at the Father’s side, ^{▼▼Greek in the bosom of the Father} ^athe has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 And this is the ^autestimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ^av“Who are you?” 20 ^awHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? ^axAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you ^aythe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am ^azthe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight ^{▼▼Or crying out, ‘In the wilderness make straight} the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, ^bb“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, ^bc“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even ^bdhe who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, ^bethe Lamb of God, who ^bftakes away the sin ^bgof the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ^bh‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but ^bifor this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John ^bjbore witness: ^bk“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and ^blit remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but ^bmhe who sent me to baptize ^bnwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, ^bothis is he who baptizes ^bpwith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ^bqthe Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, ^br“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, ^bs“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ^{▼▼That is, about 4 p.m.} 40 ^buOne of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus ^{▼▼Greek him} was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found ^bwthe Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of ^bxJohn. You shall be called ^byCephas” (which means ^bzPeter). ^{▼▼ Cephas and Peter are from the word for rock in Aramaic and Greek, respectively}

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 ^cbThe next day Jesus decided ^ccto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now ^cdPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found ^ceNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom ^cfMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus ^cgof Nazareth, ^chthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, ^ci“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, ^cjan Israelite indeed, ^ckin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How ^cldo you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, ^cm“Rabbi, ^cnyou are the Son of God! You are the ^coKing of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, ^{▼▼The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse} you will see ^cqheaven opened, and ^crthe angels of God ascending and descending on ^csthe Son of Man.”