John 1:1-18 - The Prologue To John's Gospel

¹ In the beginning the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was divine. ² It was he that was with God in the beginning. ³ Everything came into existence through him, and apart from him nothing came to be. ⁴ It was by him that life came into existence, and that life was the light of mankind. ⁵ The light is still shining in the darkness, for the darkness has never put it out.

⁶ There appeared a man by the name of John, with a message from God. ⁷ He came to give testimony, to testify to the light, so that everyone might come to believe in it through him. ⁸ He was not the light; he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The real light, which sheds light upon everyone, was just coming into the world.

¹⁰ He came into the world, and though the world came into existence through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to his home, and his own family did not welcome him. ¹² But to all who did receive him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ owing their birth not to nature nor to any human or physical impulse, but to God.

¹⁴ So the Word became flesh and blood and lived for a while among us, abounding in blessing and truth, and we saw the honor God had given him, such honor as an only son receives from his father. ¹⁵ (John testified to him and cried out??or it was he who said it??He who was to come after me is now ahead of me