The Word [already] existed in the beginning [of time]. [Note: This is a reference to the preexistence of Jesus. See verse 14]. And the Word was with God and the Word was [what] God [was].

This one was in the beginning with God.

Everything came into being through this Word, and apart from Him not a single thing came into being.

In him life lay, and this life was the Light for men:

This one came for a witness, in order that he could testify about the light, so that all would believe through him.

This was the true light, who lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

who owe this birth of theirs to God, not to human blood, nor to any impulse of the flesh or of man.

[Eventually] this Word became a human being and lived among us [Note: The word "lived" here refers to pitching a temporary tent]. (And we saw His splendor; such splendor as belongs to the Father's only Son), full of God's favor and truth.

it was of him that John bare witness, when he made this declaration, "this was he of whom I said, he that cometh after me, was before me; for he did indeed exist before me."

This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem, to ask him, who he was.

he own'd it, and did not deny it; but made this protestation, I am not the Christ.

And they put this question to him, saying, Why then are you giving baptism if you are not the Christ, or Elijah, or the prophet?

John answered them, saying, 'I baptize with water, but in midst of you he hath stood whom ye have not known, this one it is who is coming after me, who hath been before me,

This is he coming after me, who was before me, of whom I am not worthy that I might loose the strings of his shoes.

This took place at Bethany on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

this is he of whom I said, after me cometh a man, who was before me: for he did indeed exist before me.

And I knew him not; but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water.

And John gave this witness, saying, I saw the Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove and resting on him.

And I did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water, that one said to me, '[The one] upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him--this one is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

this I saw, and testify'd, that he is the son of God.

the two disciples hearing this, followed Jesus.

Then He said to them, "Come, and you will see." So, they went and saw where He was staying and they stayed with Him that day. It was about ten o'clock in the morning. [Note: Hour designations in this book are being calculated by Roman time, but this would have been

Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard this from John and followed him.

This one first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which is translated "Christ").

The day after this, Jesus had a desire to go into Galilee. He came across Philip and said to him, Come and be my disciple.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew's and Peter's home town. [Note: This town was on the northwest shore of Lake Galilee, a few miles from Capernaum].

[As] Jesus saw Nathaniel coming toward Him, He said [this] about him, "Look, [there is] a true Israelite, a completely honest man!"

Jesus answered him, "Do you believe in me because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this."

Jesus answered and said to him: Do you believe, be cause I said to you, I saw you under the fig-tree? You shall see greater things than these. And he said to him: Verily, verily I say to you, From this time you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Then on the third day [i.e., since Jesus' conversation with Nathaniel. See 1:47], a wedding took place in Cana in Galilee. [Note: This was a small town near Nazareth]. Jesus' mother was there

Jesus said to her, Woman, this is not your business; my time is still to come.

and said to him, "Everyone sets out the best wine first, and when people have had plenty to drink, he then sets out the poor quality [wine]. But you have kept the best wine until now." [Note: See Barnes Notes and The Gospel of John by Butler for evidence suggesting that this was not intoxicating wine].

This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

After this he went down to Capernaum, in company with his mother, his brethren, and his disciples: but they stay'd there only a few days.

But the Jewish Passover was approaching, and for this Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

This recalled to His disciples the words of Scripture, "My zeal for Thy House will consume me."

Then the Jews put this question to him: What sign of authority have you to give us, seeing that you do these things?

Jesus answered them, saying, destroy this temple, and within three days I will raise it up.

to this said the Jews, forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this;

When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

This man came to him at night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that [you are] a teacher who has come from God, for no one is able to perform these signs that you are performing unless God were with him."

Jesus said to him, "Truly, truly, I tell you, a person cannot see the kingdom of God [i.e., enter it. See verse 5], unless he is born from above [Note: The words "from above" are also used in verse 31, but in this place they could also mean "again," or "anew" and refer to the source of a person's second birth].

Then Nicodemus answered by asking, "How can this be?"

Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel and do not know this?

For in this way God loved the world, so that he gave his one and only Son, in order that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but will have eternal life.

and this is the subject of their condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men have loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

After this Jesus went with his disciples into Judea, where he stay'd with them for some time,

For at this time John had not been put into prison.

And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you on the other side of the Jordan, about whom you testified--look, this one is baptizing, and all are coming to him!"

but John made them this answer, a man can have no authority, but what he derives from heaven.

the bridegroom is he that hath a right to the bride: as for the friend of the bridegroom, who is nigh his person and heareth him, he greatly rejoyces at the voice of the bridegroom: upon this account my joy is compleat.

What he has seen and heard, this he testifies, and no one accepts his testimony.

he that hath received his testimony, hath set his seal to this, that God is true.

Jacob's [spring-fed] well was there so Jesus, tired from His [long] journey, sat down beside the well just as He was [i.e., before doing anything else]. It was about six o'clock in the morning [Note: This would have been

The woman of Samaria said to him, Why do you, a Jew, make a request for water to me, a woman of Samaria? She said this because Jews have nothing to do with the people of Samaria.

Jesus answered her, “If you knew [about] God’s gift [of eternal life], and who it is who says, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him [instead], and He would have given you living water (eternal life).”

The woman said to him, "Sir, you have no bucket and the well is deep! From where then do you get this living water?

You are not greater than our forefather Jacob, are you, who gave us this well, and drank from it himself, with all his sons and flocks?"

Jesus answered her, they that drink of this water, will be thirsty again:

But whoever drinks of this water which I will give to him will never be thirsty for eternity, but the water which I will give to him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

sir, replied the woman, give me this water, that I may never be adry, nor come hither to draw more.

At this, Jesus said, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly.

our fathers worshipped upon this mountain; and you say, that Jerusalem is the place where we ought to perform our worship.

Jesus said to her, woman, believe me, the time is coming when it shall be neither on this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem that ye shall worship the father.

Upon this his disciples came, and were surpriz'd at his conversing with the woman: yet none of them said, what did you ask her? or, why do you talk with her?

see a man who told me all that ever I have done: is not this the Christ?

While this was taking place, the disciples were saying to Jesus, Master, take some food.

upon this occasion, that saying is verified, "one soweth, and another reapeth."

I sent you [disciples] to harvest [a crop] that you did not work on; other people have done the work and you have reaped the results of their work." [Note: This is probably an allusion to the preliminary work of preaching done by John, the Immerser, with results occurring under the preaching of the apostles].

So on this the Samaritans came to him, and besought him to abide with them: and he tarried there two days.

now it is not for what you have said, that we believe: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the saviour of the world, the Christ.

This man, [when he] heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, went to him and asked that he come down and heal his son, for he was about to die.

Then he asked them what the [exact] time was when his son began to get better. They said to him, "[It was] yesterday at seven o'clock in the morning that the fever left him." [Note: This would have been

It was clear then to the father that this was the very time at which Jesus said to him, Your son is living. And he had faith in Jesus, he and all his family.

Jesus did this second miracle when he return'd from Judea to Galilee.

Some time after this the feast of the Jews being come, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

Now in Jerusalem there was a pool of water near the Sheep Gate [Note: This was a city gate in the north wall]. It had five porticos [i.e., covered open areas along the outside of the Temple]. In the Hebrew language it was called Bethesda.

(for a messenger went down at certain times into the pool, and agitated the water: the first then that stepped in after this commotion of the water, was cured of whatever disease he had.)

Jesus, [when he] saw this one lying [there] and knew that he had [been sick] a long time already, said to him, "Do you want to become well?"

And immediately the man was made well and picked up his cot and walked. Now this happened on the Sabbath day.

so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It’s illegal for you to pick up your mat.”

“Who is this man who told you, ‘Pick up your mat and walk’?” they asked.

After this, Jesus found him in the temple complex and said to him, “See, you are well. Do not sin anymore, so that something worse doesn’t happen to you.”

And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.

The reply of Jesus was, "As my Father has continued working to this hour, so I work too."

For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God.

So Jesus made this answer to them: "Truly, truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, nothing but what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, the Son also does the same.

let not this surprize you: for the time is coming, when all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they that have done good,

not that I need the testimony of men: but this I tell you, for your own security.

And you do not have his word residing in yourselves, because the one whom that one sent, in this one you do not believe.

I do not by this seek your applause.

for this I know of you, that you are not possess'd with any love for God.

After this Jesus went to the other side of the sea of Galilee, or Tiberias.

Then Jesus went up to a high plateau [Note: This place, northeast of Lake Galilee, is called "The Golan Heights," today] and sat down there with His disciples.

Jesus then lifting up his eyes, and seeing a great company coming to him, said to Philip, where can we buy bread to feed this people?

(this he said to prove Philip: for he himself knew what he had to do.)

There is a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two small fishes; but this, what is it for so many?

The people, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, cry'd out, this is of a truth that prophet who was to come into the world.