He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light.

He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him.

He came to his own--yet his own did not receive him.

For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to will of man did they owe the new Life, but to God.

He confessed and did not deny it, he confessed--"I am not the Christ."

"What then?" they asked. "Are you Elijah?" "No," he said, "I am not." "Are you 'the Prophet'?" He answered, "No."

And their next question was: "Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor yet 'the Prophet'?"

John's answer was--"I baptize with water, but among you stands one whom you do not know;

He is coming after me, yet I am not worthy even to unfasten his sandal."

I myself did not know him, but, that he may be made known to Israel, I have come, baptizing with water."

I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water, he said to me 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him--he it is who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

"What do you want with me?" answered Jesus. "My time has not come yet."

And, when the Master of the Feast had tasted the water which had now become wine, not knowing where it had come from--although the servants who had taken out the water knew--

And said to the pigeon-dealers: "Take these things away. Do not turn my Father's House into a market-house."

But Jesus did not trust himself to them, since he could read every heart,

And because he did not need that others should tell him what men were; for he could of himself read what was in men.

This man came to Jesus by night, and said to him: "Rabbi, we know that you are a Teacher come from God; for no one could give such signs as you are giving, unless God were with him."

Do not wonder at my telling you that you all need to be reborn.

The wind blows where it wills, and you can hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes, or where it goes; it is the same with every one that owes his birth to the Spirit."

"What! You a teacher of Israel," exclaimed Jesus, "and yet do not understand this!

In truth I tell you that we speak of what we know, and state what we have seen; and yet you do not accept our statements.

If, when I tell you earthly things, you do not believe me, how will you believe me when I tell you of heavenly things?

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that every one who believes in him may not be lost, but have Immortal Life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.

He who believes in him escapes condemnation, while he who does not believe in him is already condemned, because he has not believed in the only Son of God.

For he who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, for fear that his actions should be exposed;

(For John had not yet been imprisoned).

You are yourselves witnesses that I said 'I am not the Christ,' but 'I have been sent before him as a Messenger.'

For he whom God sent as his Messenger gives us God's own teaching, for God does not limit the gift of the Spirit.

He who believes in the Son has Immortal Life, while he who rejects the Son will not even see that Life, but remains under 'God's displeasure.'

(Though it was not Jesus himself, but his disciples, who baptized),

"How is it," replied the Samaritan woman, "that you who are a Jew ask for water from a Samaritan woman like me?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans).

Surely you are not greater than our ancestor Jacob who gave us the well, and used to drink from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle!"

"Give me this water, Sir," said the woman, "so that I may not be thirsty, nor have to come all the way here to draw water."

"For you have had five husbands, and the man with whom you are now living is not your husband; in saying that, you have spoken the truth."

You Samaritans do not know what you worship; we know what we worship, for Salvation comes from the Jews.

Do not you say that it still wants four months to harvest? Why, look up, and see how white the fields are for harvest!

For he himself declared that 'a Prophet is not honored in his own country.'

Jesus answered: "Unless you all see signs and wonders, you will not believe."

Now it was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured: "This is the Sabbath; you must not carry your mat."

But the man who had been restored did not know who it was; for Jesus had moved away, because there was a crowd there.

Afterwards Jesus found the man in the Temple Courts, and said to him: "You are cured now; do not sin again, for fear that something worse may befall you."

This made the Jews all the more eager to kill him, because not only was he doing away with the Sabbath, but he actually called God his own Father--putting himself on an equality with God.

The Father himself does not judge any man, but has 'entrusted the work of judging entirely to his Son,'

So that all men may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son fails to honor the Father who sent him.

In truth I tell you that he who listens to my Message and believes him who sent me, has Immortal Life, and does not come under condemnation, but has already passed out of Death into Life.

Do not wonder at this; for the time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice,

I can do nothing of myself; I judge as I am taught; and the judgment that I give is just, because my aim is not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

If I bear testimony to myself, my testimony is not trustworthy;

But the testimony which I receive is not from man; I am saying this for your Salvation.

The Father who has sent me has himself borne testimony to me. You have neither listened to his voice, not seen his form;

And you have not taken his Message home to your hearts, because you do not believe him whom he sent as his Messenger.

I do not receive honor from men,

But I know this of you, that you have not the love of God in your hearts.

I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, you will receive him.

How can you believe in me, when you receive honor from one another and do not desire the honor which comes from the only God?

Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have been resting your hopes.

But, if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my teaching?"

"Twenty pounds' worth of bread," answered Philip, "would not be enough for each of them to have a little."

And, getting into a boat, began to cross to Capernaum. By this time darkness had set in, and Jesus had not yet come back to them;

But Jesus said to them: "It is I; do not be afraid!"

The people who remained on the further side of the Sea had seen that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not gone into it with his disciples, but that they had left without him.

So, on the next day, when the people saw that Jesus was not there, or his disciples either, they themselves got into the boats, and went to Capernaum to look for him.

"In truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "it is not on account of the signs which you saw that you are looking for me, but because you had the bread to eat and were satisfied.

Work, not for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for Immortal Life, which the Son of Man will give you; for upon him the Father--God himself--has set the seal of his approval."

"In truth I tell you," replied Jesus, "Moses did not give you the Bread from Heaven, but my Father does give you the true Bread from Heaven;

But, as I have said already, you have seen me, and yet you do not believe in me.

For I have come down from Heaven, to do, not my own will, but the will of him who sent me;

And his will is this--that I should not lose one of all those whom he has given me, but should raise them up at the Last Day.

"Is not this Jesus, Joseph's son," they asked, "whose father and mother we know? How is it that he now says that he has come down from Heaven?"

"Do not murmur among yourselves," said Jesus in reply.

Not that any one has seen the Father, except him who is from God--he has seen the Father.

"In truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have not Life within you.

That is the Bread which has come down from Heaven--not such as your ancestors ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live for ever."

Yet there are some of you who do not believe in me." For Jesus knew from the first who they were that did not believe in him, and who it was that would betray him;

After this many of his disciples drew back, and did not go about with him any longer.

"Did not I myself choose you to be the Twelve?" replied Jesus; "and yet, even of you, one is playing the 'Devil's' part."

After this, Jesus went about in Galilee, for he would not do so in Judea, because the Jews were eager to put him to death.

For even his brothers did not believe in him.

"My time," answered Jesus, "is not come yet, but your time is always here.

Go yourselves up to the Festival; I am not going to this Festival yet, because my time has not yet come."

But, when his brothers had gone up to the Festival, Jesus also went up--not publicly, but privately.

So, in reply, Jesus said: "My teaching is not my own; it is his who sent me.

Was not it Moses who gave you the Law? Yet not one of you obeys it! Why are you seeking to put me to death?"

But that is why Moses has instituted circumcision among you- -not, indeed, that it began with him, but with our ancestors--and that is why you circumcise even on a Sabbath.

Do not judge by appearances; judge justly."

At this some of the people of Jerusalem exclaimed: "Is not this the man that they are seeking to put to death?

Therefore, Jesus, as he was teaching in the Temple Courts, raised his voice and said: "Yes; you know me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own authority, but he who sent me may be trusted; and him you do not know.

So they sought to arrest him; but no one touched him, for his time was not come yet.

You will look for me, and you will not find me; and you will not be able to come where I shall be."

"Where is this man going," the Jews asked one another, "that we shall not find him? Will he go to our countrymen abroad, and teach foreigners?

What does he mean by saying 'You will look for me, and you will not find me; and you will not be able to come where I shall be'?"

(By this he meant the Spirit, which those who had believed in him were to receive; for the Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been exalted.)

Is not it said in Scripture that it is of the race of David, and from Bethlehem, the village to which David belonged, that the Christ is to come?"

When the officers returned to the Chief Priests and Pharisees, they were asked: "Why have you not brought him?"

As for these people who do not know the Law--they are cursed!"

Jesus again addressed the people. "I am the Light of the World," he said. "He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life."

"You are bearing testimony to yourself!" exclaimed the Pharisees, "your testimony is not trustworthy."

"Even if I bear testimony to myself," answered Jesus, "my testimony is trustworthy; for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from, nor where I am going.

Yet, even if I were to judge, my judgment would be trustworthy; because I am not alone, but the Father who sent me is with me.