THE GOSPEL OF JOHN.

CHAPTER I.

THE WORD.

1 IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This [Word] was in the beginning with God. All things existed through him, and without him not one thing existed, which existed. In him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shone in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

2 There was a man, sent by God, whose name was John. This man came for a testimony, to testify of the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but to testify of the light. The light was the true [light] which lights every man that comes into the world. He was in the world, and the world existed through him, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, to them that believe on his name, who are born not of superior blood, nor of a will of the flesh, nor of a will of man, but of God.

3 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled with us and we beheld his glory, a glory as of an only child with a father, full of grace and truth. John testified of him, and cried, saying, This is the one of whom I said, He that comes after me existed before me, for he was before me. For we all have received of his fullness, and grace for grace; for the law was given by Moses, the grace and truth were by Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he declared [him].

CHAPTER II.

CHRIST DECLARED TO BE THE MESSIAH, AND COMMENCING HIS MINISTRY.

1 AND this is the testimony of John, when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, Who are you? And he confessed and denied not, and confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? are you Elijah? And he said, I am not. Are you the prophet? And he answered, No. Then they said to him, Who are you? that we may give an answer to them that sent us; what say you of yourself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said.

2 And those sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said to him, Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet? John answered them saying, I baptize with water; but among you stands one whom you know not. He is the one coming after me, the strings of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie. These things occurred in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

3 On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me comes a man who was before me, for he was before me. And I knew him not; but that he might be made manifest to Israel, for this reason have I come baptizing with water. And John testified saying, I saw the Spirit descend like a dove from heaven, and it remained on him. And I knew him not, but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said to me, On whom you see the Spirit descend and remain on him, this is he that baptizes with the Holy Spirit. And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.

4 On the next day John was again standing, and two of his disciples, and looking at Jesus as he walked, he said, Behold the Lamb of God. And his two disciples heard him say this, and followed Jesus. And Jesus turning around, and seeing them following, said to them, What do you seek? And they said to him, Rabbi, which interpreted signifies Teacher, where do you stay? He said to them, Come and see. Then they went and saw where

he staid, and staid with him that day; it was about the tenth hour. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard from Johr, and followed him; he first found his brother Simon, and said to him, We have found the Messiah; which is interpreted, Christ [Anointed]. He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looking at him said, You are Simon, the son of Jonas; you shall be called Cephas; which is interpreted, Peter [Rock].

5 On the next day he wished to go to Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, Follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote, Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth. And Nathanael said to him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, See an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. Nathanael said to him, Whence do you know me? Jesus answered and said to him, Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree I saw you. Nathanael answered him, Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said to him, Because I said to you I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You shall see greater things than these. And he said to him, I tell you most truly, you shall see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

CHAPTER III.

CHRIST CHANGING WATER INTO WINE, RESIDING AT CAPERNAUM, AND PURIFYING THE TEMPLE.

1 AND on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the wedding. And the wine falling short the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. Jesus said to her, What have you to do with me, woman? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. And there were six stone water-jars there, placed for the purification of the Jews, containing two or three metretes [16. 75

or 25.125 gallons] each. Jesus said to them, Fill the water-jars with water; and they filled them to the top. And he said to them, Now draw out and bear to the master of the feast; and they bore it. And when the master of the feast tasted of the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the servants knew who had drawn the water, the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, Every man first presents the good wine, and when they have drunk freely, the poorer; but you have kept the good wine till now. This first miracle did Jesus perform at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him. After this he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother, and his brothers, and his disciples, and remained there a few days.

2 And the passover of the Jews was nigh; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. And he found in the temple those that sold cattle, and sheep, and doves, and the brokers sitting; and making a whip of cords he drove them all out of the temple, also the sheep and cattle, and poured out the money of the brokers, and overturned the tables, and said to those that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house consumes me.

3 Then the Jews answered and said to him, What sign do you show us, that you do these things? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it. Then the Jews said to him, Forty-six years was this temple being built, and will you raise it in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body. When, therefore, he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus spoke.

CHAPTER IV.

CHRIST'S DISCOURSE WITH NICODEMUS.

1 AND when he was at Jerusalem at the feast of the passover many believed on him, seeing his miracles which he performed; but Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew all men, for he had no need that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.

2 And there was a man of the Pharisees whose name was Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to him by night and said to him, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can perform these miracles which you perform unless God is with him. Jesus answered and said to him, I tell you most truly, unless one has been born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said to him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he become an unborn infant of his mother a second time, and be born? Jesus answered, I tell you most truly, unless a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is a spirit. Wonder not that I said to you, You must be born again. The Spirit breathes where it wills, and you hear its voice, but you know not whence it comes, nor whither it goes; so is every one that has been born of the Spirit.

3 Nicodemus answered and said to him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said to him, Are you a teacher of Israel and know not these things? I tell you most truly, that we speak what we know, and what we have seen we testify; and you receive not our testimony. If I have told you earthly things and you believe not, how will you believe if I should tell you heavenly things? And no one has ascended into heaven but he that came down from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up; that every one believing in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that every one believing in him may not perish but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believes in him is not judged; but he that believes not has been judged already; because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment; that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil. For every one that does evil hates the light, and comes not to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved; but he that does good comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, for they are wrought in God.