In the beginning

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that
has been made.

In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not
understood it.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came
as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him
all men might believe.

He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the
world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but
his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those
who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision
or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen
his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father,
full of grace and truth.

John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, “This was he
of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he
was before me.’”From the fullness of his grace we have all
received one blessing after another.

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s side, has made him known.

Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent
priests and Levites to ask him who he was.

He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.”

They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you the Prophet?”

He answered, “No.”

Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to
those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of
one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do
you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

“I baptize withi water,” John replied, “but among you stands one
you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of
whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where
John was baptizing.

(John 1:1-28)