The Message Bible MSG
New International Version NIV
4 What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by.
4
In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out.
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The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God
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There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
7 to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in.
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He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.
8 John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.
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He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light.
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The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice.
10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11 He came to his own people, but they didn't want him.
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He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.
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Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
13 These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.
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children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.
14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.