John 1:1-18

1In the beginning, the Word was already there. The Word was with God. The Word was God.

2He was with God from the beginning.

3God made all things through the Word. God did not make anything without him.

4It is the Word who caused everything to live. Because of this, he has brought light to all people.

5The light shines in the dark, and the dark cannot put out the light.

6God sent a man to bring his message. His name was John.

7He came to tell people about the light. God wanted everyone to believe in the one who is the light.

8John himself was not that light. God sent him to tell people about the light.

9The true light gives light to every person. That light was now coming into the world.

10The Word was now in the world. God had made the world through him. But the people in the world did not know who he was.

11He came to his own place, but his own people did not accept him.

12Some people did accept him and they believed in him. He gave authority to those people to become God's children.

13They did not become God's children in the usual human way. They were not born because some people wanted to have children. They were not born because of what any man decided. No! They were born from God.

14The Word became a man. He lived among us. We saw his great glory. He has the glory of the Father's one true Son. He is full of God's grace and truth.

15John told people about the Word. He shouted, ‘This is the man that I told you about. He comes after me. But he is greater than I am. He was already there before I was born.’

16The Word is full of everything that we need. We have all received one good thing after another good thing.

17God gave his Law to us through Moses. But Jesus Christ brought God's grace and his truth to us.

18Nobody has ever seen God. But God's only Son has shown God to us. He is very near to the Father, and he himself is God.