GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
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In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was already with God in the beginning.
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He was with God in the beginning.
3 Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.
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Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.
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In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.
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The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 God sent a man named John to be his messenger.
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There was a man sent from God whose name was John.
7 John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message.
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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 the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light.
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He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world.
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The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn't recognize him.
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He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.
11 He went to his own people, and his own people didn't accept him.
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He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
12 However, he gave the right to become God's children to everyone who believed in him.
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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 people didn't become God's children in a physical way--from a human impulse or from a husband's desire [to have a child]. They were born from God.
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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 human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.
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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.
15 (John declared the truth about him when he said loudly, "This is the person about whom I said, 'The one who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.'")
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(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”)
16 Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is.
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Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.
17 The Teachings were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ.
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For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one has ever seen God. God's only Son, the one who is closest to the Father's heart, has made him known.
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No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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.