Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
GOD'S WORD Translation GW
1 In the beginning was the Word: and the Word was with God: and the Word was God.
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In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
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He was already with God in the beginning.
3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.
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Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.
4 In him was life: and the life was the light of men.
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He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity.
5 And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it.
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The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
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God sent a man named John to be his messenger.
7 This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him.
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John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message.
8 He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.
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John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light.
9 That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.
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The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world: and the world was made by him: and the world knew him not.
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He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn't recognize him.
11 He came unto his own: and his own received him not.
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He went to his own people, and his own people didn't accept him.
12 But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.
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However, he gave the right to become God's children to everyone who believed in him.
13 Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
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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.
14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.
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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.
15 John beareth witness of him and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me is preferred before me: because he was before me.
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(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.'")
16 And of his fulness we all have received: and grace for grace.
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Each of us has received one gift after another because of all that the Word is.
17 For the law was given by Moses: grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
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The Teachings were given through Moses, but kindness and truth came into existence through Jesus Christ.
18 No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the Bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
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No one has ever seen God. God's only Son, the one who is closest to the Father's heart, has made him known.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art thou?
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This was John's answer when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"
20 And he confessed and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ.
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John didn't refuse to answer. He told them clearly, "I'm not the Messiah."
21 And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No.
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They asked him, "Well, are you Elijah?" John answered, "No, I'm not." Then they asked, "Are you the prophet?" John replied, "No."
22 They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?
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So they asked him, "Who are you? Tell us so that we can take an answer back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
23 He said: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias.
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John said, "I'm a voice crying out in the desert, 'Make the way for the Lord straight,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
24 And they that were sent were of the Pharisees.
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Some of those who had been sent were Pharisees.
25 And they asked him and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?
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They asked John, "Why do you baptize if you're not the Messiah or Elijah or the prophet?"
26 John answered them, saying: I baptize with water: but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.
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John answered them, "I baptize with water. Someone you don't know is standing among you.
27 The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.
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He's the one who comes after me. I am not worthy to untie his sandal strap."
28 These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
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This happened in Bethany on the east side of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him; and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God. Behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.
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John saw Jesus coming toward him the next day and said, "Look! This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
30 This is he of whom I said: After me there cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me.
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He is the one I spoke about when I said, 'A man who comes after me was before me because he existed before I did.'
31 And I knew him not: but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
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I didn't know who he was. However, I came to baptize with water to show him to the people of Israel."
32 And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven; and he remained upon him.
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John said, "I saw the Spirit come down as a dove from heaven and stay on him.
33 And I knew him not: but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
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I didn't know who he was. But God, who sent me to baptize with water, had told me, 'When you see the Spirit come down and stay on someone, you'll know that person is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
34 And I saw: and I gave testimony that this is the Son of God.
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I have seen this and have declared that this is the Son of God."
35 The next day again John stood and two of his disciples.
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The next day John was standing with two of his disciples.
36 And beholding Jesus walking, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God.
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John saw Jesus walk by. John said, "Look! This is the Lamb of God."
37 And the two disciples heard him speak: and they followed Jesus.
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When the two disciples heard John say this, they followed Jesus.
38 And Jesus turning and seeing them following him, saith to them: What seek you? Who said to him: Rabbi (which is to say, being interpreted, Master), where dwellest thou?
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Jesus turned around and saw them following him. He asked them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which means "teacher"), "where are you staying?"
39 He saith to them: Come and see. They came and saw where he abode: and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.
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Jesus told them, "Come, and you will see." So they went to see where he was staying and spent the rest of that day with him. It was about ten o'clock in the morning.
40 And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John and followed him.
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Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two disciples who heard John and followed Jesus.
41 He findeth first his brother Simon and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
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Andrew at once found his brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah" (which means "Christ").
42 And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona. Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.
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Andrew brought Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at Simon and said, "You are Simon, son of John. Your name will be Cephas" (which means "Peter").
43 On the following day, he would go forth into Galilee: and he findeth Philip, And Jesus saith to him: follow me.
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The next day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee. He found Philip and told him, "Follow me!"
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
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(Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.)
45 Philip findeth Nathanael and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses, in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.
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Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the man whom Moses wrote about in his teachings and whom the prophets wrote about. He is Jesus, son of Joseph, from the city of Nazareth."
46 And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see.
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Nathanael said to Philip, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Philip told him, "Come and see!"
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.
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Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and remarked, "Here is a true Israelite who is sincere."
48 Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
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Nathanael asked Jesus, "How do you know anything about me?" Jesus answered him, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you."
49 Nathanael answered him and said: Rabbi: Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.
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Nathanael said to Jesus, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the king of Israel!"
50 Jesus answered and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see.
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Jesus replied, "You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that."
51 And he saith to him: Amen, amen, I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
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Jesus said to Nathanael, "I can guarantee this truth: You will see the sky open and God's angels going up and coming down to the Son of Man."
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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.