John Chapter 1
Showing all 51 verses for John Chapter 1.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. "
"Before anything existed, there was "the Word" - and the Word was together with God, and the Word was God."
I want you to know that before you ever did anything to earn it, before the universe even existed, love and meaning were already built into reality itself - your worth isn't something you have to invent from scratch.
"The same was in the beginning with God. "
"This Word was with God right from the very start."
Some truths matter enough that I'll say them twice - my connection to the source of all things isn't something that started when I was born; it's the ground I've always stood on, and yours can be too.
"All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. "
"Everything that exists was made through the Word; nothing that has ever been made came into being without him."
I made everything you see, which means nothing that exists - including you - is an accident or a mistake; you were made with intention, and that's the starting point for how you should see yourself.
"In him was life; and the life was the light of men. "
"Life itself was found in him, and that life was the light that shows humanity the way."
I don't just want you to exist - I want to give you real life, the kind with clarity and purpose, not just survival; let me be the light that helps you see your way through confusion.
"And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. "
"That light shines into the darkness, and the darkness has never been able to put it out or fully grasp it."
Even when people don't understand or reject what I offer, that doesn't diminish it - I keep shining regardless of the response, and you can hold onto truth even when the crowd around you doesn't get it.
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. "
"There was a man sent by God whose name was John."
Even the Creator of everything works through ordinary people with names and callings; I value the human messengers who point beyond themselves to something greater, and I ask the same humility of anyone who represents truth.
"The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. "
"He came to testify, to point people towards the Light, so that everyone might come to believe through him."
I value people who use their voice to point others towards truth rather than towards themselves - if you have influence, the most meaningful use of it is helping others see something bigger than you.
"He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. "
"John himself wasn't the Light - he was only sent to testify about the Light."
I want you to know the difference between someone who reflects light and the source of light itself - don't confuse admiration for a good teacher with the deeper truth they're trying to show you.
"That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. "
"The true Light was coming into the world - the kind that gives light to every single person."
I didn't come for one type of person - my light is for everyone, no exceptions based on background, status, or how "deserving" you think you are.
"He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. "
"He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world didn't recognise him."
I know what it's like to be present and still overlooked - if you've ever felt unseen for who you really are, I understand that experience intimately, and I don't hold it against those who are still learning to see.
"He came unto his own, and his own received him not. "
"He came to his own people, and his own people did not welcome him."
I've experienced rejection from people who should have known me best - so if you've been dismissed or misunderstood by your own family or community, you're not alone in that, and it doesn't define your worth.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: "
"But to everyone who did welcome him and put their trust in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
I offer you a new identity, not based on your past or your performance, but on simply trusting me - that's available to you right now, regardless of what you've done or where you come from.
"Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. "
"These are people born not through physical descent, human desire, or a husband's decision, but born of God himself."
Your standing with me was never about your bloodline, your family's reputation, or anyone else's decisions on your behalf - it's a fresh start only I can give, available to absolutely anyone.
"And the Word was made flesh, and among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"The Word became a human being and lived among us. We saw his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son, full of grace and truth."
I didn't just send a message from a distance - I moved into the neighbourhood, lived a real human life with all its limits, so you'd know I understand exactly what your life is like from the inside.
"John 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. "
"John testified about him, declaring loudly: "This is the one I was talking about when I said, 'The one coming after me has surpassed me, because he existed before me.'""
I value people who tell the truth about rank and status even when it costs their own reputation - John gave up the spotlight willingly, and that kind of honesty about who deserves credit is something I ask of you too.
"And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. "
"From his overflowing fullness we have all received one gift of grace after another."
I don't give you one dose of grace and then stop - it keeps coming, wave after wave, so you never need to fear you've used up your allowance of forgiveness or love.
"For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. "
"The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
I'm not here to hand you another rulebook to fail at - I'm here to offer you an actual relationship built on grace and truth, which changes people from the inside in a way rules alone never can.
"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. "
"No one has ever seen God, but God's only Son, who is closest to the Father's heart, has made him known."
If you want to know what I'm like, look at how I lived - my words, my compassion, my anger at injustice, my patience with the broken; that's the clearest window into the character of God you'll ever get.
"And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? "
"This is John's testimony when the religious leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and temple assistants to ask him, "Who are you?""
When people in authority question your motives or your work, answering honestly - as John is about to do - matters more than defending your reputation; truth doesn't need to be defensive.
"And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. "
"He didn't dodge the question - he stated plainly: "I am not the Messiah.""
I admire people who refuse to accept praise or a title that isn't truly theirs, even when it would be easy to let the misunderstanding stand - honesty about your own limits is a form of integrity I ask of everyone who follows me.
"And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. "
"They asked, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No.""
I don't need you to inflate your identity with titles that aren't really yours - knowing exactly who you are, and who you are not, frees you from the exhausting performance of pretending to be more.
"Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? "
"So they said, "Then who are you? We need an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?""
When people press you to define yourself, answer from your own sense of purpose rather than the labels others try to hand you - that clarity is worth working out for yourself.
"He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. "
"He said, "I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Make the road straight for the Lord' - just as the prophet Isaiah said.""
Real purpose sometimes means seeing yourself as a voice for something bigger rather than the main event - if your role in life is to prepare the way for good things to happen for others, that's a worthy and honourable calling.
"And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. "
"Now the men who had been sent were from the Pharisees."
I understand institutions can feel threatened by anything unfamiliar, even when it's genuinely good - I don't ask you to fear that kind of scrutiny, only to keep responding with truth, as John does here.
"And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? "
"So they asked him, "Then why are you baptising people, if you're not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?""
You don't need an official title to do meaningful work calling people towards something better - authenticity and purpose can be their own credentials.
"John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; "
"John answered them, "I baptise with water, but someone stands among you right now that you don't recognise.""
Sometimes what you're searching for is closer than you think, standing right among the people around you - I ask you to stay alert and open, because the answer isn't always where you expect to find it.
"He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. "
""He comes after me, but he ranks far above me - I'm not even worthy to untie the strap of his sandal.""
True greatness sometimes looks like willingly ranking yourself below someone else's importance - I don't need you to compete for status; I need you to recognise what actually matters and point to it honestly.
"These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. "
"All this happened in Bethabara (Bethany), on the far side of the Jordan River, where John was baptising."
I worked out my mission in real places, among real people, not in abstract theory - the truths I teach are meant to be lived out in your actual, specific life and location too.
"The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. "
"The next day John saw Jesus coming towards him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!""
I came to deal with the weight you carry - your mistakes, your guilt, your shame - not by ignoring it but by taking it on myself, so you can walk forward without dragging that weight behind you.
"This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. "
""This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man is coming after me who ranks above me, because he existed before me.'""
I want you to see that promises made about hope and rescue aren't just abstract ideas - they become real, present, and personal, standing right in front of you when the time is right.
"And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. "
""I didn't know who he was, but the reason I came baptising with water was so he could be revealed to Israel.""
You don't need to understand the full plan to faithfully do the part that's yours - I ask you to trust the purpose behind your work even when the bigger picture isn't yet clear to you.
"And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. "
"John testified, "I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and it rested on him.""
I received confirmation and support at the start of my mission, and so will you - when you step into what you're called to do, don't be surprised if help and confirmation arrive in ways you didn't expect.
"And 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. "
""I didn't know him, but the one who sent me to baptise with water told me, 'The one you see the Spirit come down and rest on - he is the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.'""
What I offer goes deeper than any outward ritual or self-improvement routine - I want to change you from the inside, giving you a new source of strength that isn't dependent on your own willpower.
"And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. "
""I saw it myself, and I testify that this is the Son of God.""
I value honest, first-hand testimony over secondhand rumour - if you've genuinely encountered truth, say so plainly, the way John does here, rather than staying quiet out of caution.
"Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; "
"The next day, John was standing there again with two of his disciples."
I appreciate leaders like John who are willing to see their own followers move on to something greater - if your role is to launch people towards a better path, even one that leads them away from you, that's success, not loss.
"And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! "
"As Jesus walked by, John looked at him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God!""
Sometimes the most powerful thing you can say to someone is a simple, honest pointer towards what really matters - you don't need elaborate persuasion, just a clear, truthful nudge in the right direction.
"And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. "
"The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus."
I welcome anyone who's ready to follow, even if it means leaving behind a teacher or path that served them well up to this point - growth sometimes means moving towards something new when it's genuinely pointed out to you.
"Then 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? "
"Jesus turned round, saw them following, and asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi (which means Teacher), where are you staying?""
I ask you the same question I asked them - what are you actually looking for in life? It's worth pausing to answer honestly, because what you seek shapes where you'll end up.
"He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. "
💡 Highlighted words feature Jacobean 1611 tooltips to clarify shifted 17th-century English terms.
"He said, "Come and see." So they went, saw where he was staying, and spent the rest of that day with him - it was about four in the afternoon."
I don't demand instant certainty before you get to know me - I simply invite you to come and see for yourself, spend time, ask questions, and let your own experience lead you to your own conclusions.
"One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. "
"One of the two men who heard John and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother."
I built my earliest community out of ordinary people with ordinary family ties, not celebrities or elites - if you feel unremarkable, that's exactly the kind of person I choose to work through.
"He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. "
"Andrew first went and found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which means "the Christ")."
When you discover something genuinely good, my instinct - and I hope yours too - is to share it first with the people closest to you, not to keep it to yourself.
"And 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. "
"Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon, son of John - you will be called Cephas" (which translates as "Peter," meaning "a rock")."
I see who you can become, not just who you are right now - even before you've proven anything, I can name a new identity and purpose over your life that you'll grow into over time.
"The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. "
"The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me.""
I go looking for you - you don't have to somehow find your own way to me through perfect effort; sometimes I simply show up and say "follow me," and all that's asked of you is to respond.
"Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. "
"Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter."
I often build my community through the relationships and networks you already have - the people from your town, your friend group, your family - rather than starting entirely from scratch.
"Philip 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. "
"Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and the prophets also wrote about - Jesus of Nazareth, son of Joseph!""
When you're excited about something true and good, share it plainly and specifically, as Philip does here - you don't need perfect arguments, just honest enthusiasm and an invitation to come and check it out.
"And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. "
"Nathanael replied, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip simply said, "Come and see.""
I don't need you to win every argument for me - when someone's sceptical, the best response is often simply to invite them to see for themselves, and let honest experience do the convincing.
"Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! "
"Jesus saw Nathanael approaching and said of him, "Look, a true Israelite - there's nothing false in him.""
I don't need you to pretend or flatter me - honest scepticism, spoken plainly, is something I value far more than dishonest praise; come to me as you really are.
"Nathanael 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. "
"Nathanael asked, "How do you know me?" Jesus answered, "Before Philip even called you, I saw you under the fig tree.""
I see you even in your most private, unseen moments - the parts of your life no one else witnesses - and that intimate knowledge isn't meant to frighten you, it's meant to show you that you are truly known.
"Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. "
"Nathanael answered, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!""
I can turn your sharpest doubts into your deepest convictions - when you truly encounter what's real, rather than just hearing about it secondhand, everything can shift in a moment.
"Jesus 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. "
"Jesus replied, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You're going to see far greater things than that.""
Whatever has convinced you to trust me so far, however small, is just the start - stay open, because there is always more depth and wonder ahead than you can currently imagine.
"And 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. "
"Then he said, "Truly, truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God going up and down upon the Son of Man.""
I am the bridge between the ordinary world you live in and something far bigger and more meaningful - through me, heaven isn't distant or locked away, it's genuinely accessible to you.