MSG 1 The Word was first, the Word present to God, God present to the Word. The Word was God, NIV 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. MSG 2 in readiness for God from day one. NIV 2 He was with God in the beginning. MSG 3 Everything was created through him; nothing - not one thing! - came into being without him. NIV 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. MSG 4 What came into existence was Life, and the Life was Light to live by. NIV 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. MSG 5 The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn't put it out. NIV 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. MSG 6 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God NIV 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. MSG 7 to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. NIV 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. MSG 8 John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light. NIV 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. MSG 9 The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. NIV 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. MSG 10 He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn't even notice. NIV 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. MSG 11 He came to his own people, but they didn't want him. NIV 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. MSG 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. NIV 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— MSG 13 These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten. NIV 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. MSG 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. NIV 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. MSG 15 John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word." NIV 15 (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.’ ”) MSG 16 We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. NIV 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. MSG 17 We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, This endless knowing and understanding - all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. NIV 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. MSG 18 No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day. Thunder in the Desert NIV 18 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. MSG 19 When Jews from Jerusalem sent a group of priests and officials to ask John who he was, he was completely honest. NIV 19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. MSG 20 He didn't evade the question. He told the plain truth: "I am not the Messiah." NIV 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” MSG 21 They pressed him, "Who, then? Elijah?" "I am not." "The Prophet?" "No." NIV 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” MSG 22 Exasperated, they said, "Who, then? We need an answer for those who sent us. Tell us something - anything! - about yourself." NIV 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” MSG 23 "I'm thunder in the desert: 'Make the road straight for God!' I'm doing what the prophet Isaiah preached." NIV 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” MSG 24 Those sent to question him were from the Pharisee party. NIV 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent MSG 25 Now they had a question of their own: "If you're neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why do you baptize?" NIV 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” MSG 26 John answered, "I only baptize using water. A person you don't recognize has taken his stand in your midst. NIV 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. MSG 27 He comes after me, but he is not in second place to me. I'm not even worthy to hold his coat for him." NIV 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” MSG 28 These conversations took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing at the time. NIV 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. MSG 29 The very next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and yelled out, NIV 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! MSG 30 "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb! He forgives the sins of the world! This is the man I've been talking about, 'the One who comes after me but is really ahead of me.' NIV 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ MSG 31 I knew nothing about who he was - only this: that my task has been to get Israel ready to recognize him as the God-Revealer. That is why I came here baptizing with water, giving you a good bath and scrubbing sins from your life so you can get a fresh start with God." NIV 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” MSG 32 John clinched his witness with this: "I watched the Spirit, like a dove flying down out of the sky, making himself at home in him. NIV 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. MSG 33 I repeat, I know nothing about him except this: The One who authorized me to baptize with water told me, 'The One on whom you see the Spirit come down and stay, this One will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' NIV 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ MSG 34 That's exactly what I saw happen, and I'm telling you, there's no question about it: This is the Son of God." NIV 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” MSG 35 The next day John was back at his post with two disciples, who were watching. NIV 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. MSG 36 He looked up, saw Jesus walking nearby, and said, "Here he is, God's Passover Lamb." NIV 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” MSG 37 The two disciples heard him and went after Jesus. NIV 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. MSG 38 Jesus looked over his shoulder and said to them, "What are you after?" They said, "Rabbi" (which means "Teacher"), "where are you staying?" NIV 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” MSG 39 He replied, "Come along and see for yourself." They came, saw where he was living, and ended up staying with him for the day. It was late afternoon when this happened. NIV 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. MSG 40 Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard John's witness and followed Jesus. NIV 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. MSG 41 The first thing he did after finding where Jesus lived was find his own brother, Simon, telling him, "We've found the Messiah" (that is, "Christ"). NIV 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). MSG 42 He immediately led him to Jesus. Jesus took one look up and said, "You're John's son, Simon? From now on your name is Cephas" (or Peter, which means "Rock"). NIV 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ). MSG 43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. When he got there, he ran across Philip and said, "Come, follow me." NIV 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” MSG 44 (Philip's hometown was Bethsaida, the same as Andrew and Peter.) NIV 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. MSG 45 Philip went and found Nathanael and told him, "We've found the One Moses wrote of in the Law, the One preached by the prophets. It's Jesus, Joseph's son, the one from Nazareth!" NIV 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” MSG 46 Nathanael said, "Nazareth? You've got to be kidding." But Philip said, "Come, see for yourself." NIV 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. MSG 47 When Jesus saw him coming he said, "There's a real Israelite, not a false bone in his body." NIV 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” MSG 48 Nathanael said, "Where did you get that idea? You don't know me." Jesus answered, "One day, long before Philip called you here, I saw you under the fig tree." NIV 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” MSG 49 Nathanael exclaimed, "Rabbi! You are the Son of God, the King of Israel!" NIV 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” MSG 50 Jesus said, "You've become a believer simply because I say I saw you one day sitting under the fig tree? You haven't seen anything yet! NIV 50 Jesus said, “You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” MSG 51 Before this is over you're going to see heaven open and God's angels descending to the Son of Man and ascending again." NIV 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,youwill see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’the Son of Man.”
NIV 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. NIV 2 He was with God in the beginning. NIV 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. NIV 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. NIV 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. NIV 6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. NIV 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. NIV 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. NIV 9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. NIV 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. NIV 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. NIV 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— NIV 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. NIV 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. NIV 15 (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.’ ”) NIV 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. NIV 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. NIV 18 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. NIV 19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. NIV 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.” NIV 21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” NIV 22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” NIV 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” NIV 24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent NIV 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” NIV 26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. NIV 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” NIV 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. NIV 29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! NIV 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ NIV 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” NIV 32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. NIV 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ NIV 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” NIV 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. NIV 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” NIV 37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. NIV 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?” NIV 39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon. NIV 40 Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. NIV 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). NIV 42 And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peter ). NIV 43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.” NIV 44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. NIV 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” NIV 46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip. NIV 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” NIV 48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.” NIV 49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.” NIV 50 Jesus said, “You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” NIV 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,youwill see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’the Son of Man.”