1 From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.
2 This Word was from the first in relation with God.
3 All things came into existence through him, and without him nothing was.
4 What came into existence in him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light goes on shining in the dark; it is not overcome by the dark.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came for witness, to give witness about the light, so that all men might have faith through him.
8 He himself was not the light: he was sent to give witness about the light.
9 The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, the world which came into being through him, but the world had no knowledge of him.
11 He came to the things which were his and his people did not take him to their hearts.
12 To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God--that is, to those who had faith in his name:
13 Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire.
14 And so the Word became flesh and took a place among us for a time; and we saw his glory--such glory as is given to an only son by his father--saw it to be true and full of grace.
15 John gave witness about him, crying, This is he of whom I said, He who is coming after me is put over me because he was in existence before me.
16 From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and the true way of life are ours through Jesus Christ.
18 No man has seen God at any time; the only Son, who is on the breast of the Father, he has made clear what God is.
19 And this is the witness of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him with the question, Who are you?
20 He said quite openly and straightforwardly, I am not the Christ.
21 And they said to him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And his answer was, I am not.