In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

He was [continually existing] in the beginning [co-eternally] with God.

All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being.

In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.

There came a man commissioned and sent from God, whose name was John.

John was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.

There it was—the true Light [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] which, coming into the world, enlightens everyone.

He (Christ) was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

John testified [repeatedly] about Him and has cried out [testifying officially for the record, with validity and relevance], “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’”

For the Law was given through Moses, but grace [the unearned, undeserved favor of God] and truth came through Jesus Christ.

These things occurred in Bethany across the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing], where John was baptizing.

This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I and has priority over me, for He existed before me.’

Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,

He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went [with Him] and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two who heard what John said and [as a result] followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;

and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.

When the wine was all gone, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no more wine.”

Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

But He was speaking of the temple which was His body.

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in His name [identifying themselves with Him] after seeing His signs (attesting miracles) which He was doing.

and He did not need anyone to testify concerning man [and human nature], for He Himself knew what was in man [in their hearts—in the very core of their being].

Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (member of the Sanhedrin) among the Jews,

Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there; and people were coming and were being baptized—

So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi (Teacher), the Man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan [at the Jordan River crossing]—and to whom you have testified—look, He is baptizing too, and everyone is going to Him!”

So when the Lord learned that the Pharisees had been told that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John

Now He had to go through Samaria.

and Jacob’s well was there. So Jesus, tired as He was from His journey, sat down by the well. It was then about the sixth hour (noon).

So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son was sick in Capernaum.

Having heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to meet Him and began asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.

As he was already going down [the road], his servants met him and reported that his son was living [and was healthy].

Then the father realized that it was at that very hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son lives”; and he and his entire household believed and confidently trusted [in Him as Savior].

Later on there was a Jewish feast (festival), and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

for an angel of the Lord went down into the pool at appointed seasons and stirred up the water; the first one to go in after the water was stirred was healed of his disease.]

There was a certain man there who had been ill for thirty-eight years.

Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away [unnoticed] since there was a crowd in that place.

The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

For this reason the Jews began to persecute Jesus continually because He was doing these things on the Sabbath.

This made the Jews more determined than ever to kill Him, for not only was He breaking the Sabbath [from their viewpoint], but He was also calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.

John was the lamp that kept on burning and shining [to show you the way], and you were willing for a while to rejoice in his light.

A large crowd was following Him because they had seen the signs (attesting miracles) which He continually performed on those who were sick.

Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was approaching.

Jesus looked up and saw that a large crowd was coming toward Him, and He said to Philip, “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?”

But He said this to test Philip, because He knew what He was about to do.

Jesus said, “Have the people sit down [to eat].” Now [the ground] there was [covered with] an abundance of grass, so the men sat down, about 5,000 in number.

and they got into a boat and started to cross the sea to Capernaum. It was already dark, and Jesus had still not come [back] to them.

The sea was getting rough and rising high because a strong wind was blowing.

Then Jesus said to them, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven.

Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He [who was with the Father and] who is from God; He [alone] has seen the Father.

He said these things in a synagogue while He was teaching in Capernaum.

What then [will you think] if you see the Son of Man ascending to [the realm] where He was before?

Now He was speaking of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot; for he, one of the twelve [disciples], was about to betray Him.

Now the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) was approaching.

There was a lot of whispered discussion and murmuring among the crowds about Him. Some were saying, “He is a good man”; others said, “No, on the contrary, He misleads the people [giving them false ideas].”

When the feast was already half over, Jesus went up into the temple [court] and began to teach.

I know Him Myself because I am from Him [I came from His very presence] and it was He [personally] who sent Me.”

But He was speaking of the [Holy] Spirit, whom those who believed in Him [as Savior] were to receive afterward. The Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor).

Nicodemus (the one who came to Jesus before and was one of them) asked,

Early in the morning He came back into the temple [court], and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began teaching them.

They listened [to His reply], and they began to go out one by one, starting with the oldest ones, until He was left alone, with the woman [standing there before Him] in the center of the court.

Jesus said these things in the treasury, as He taught in the temple [courtyard]; and no one seized Him, because His time had not yet come.

They did not realize [or have the spiritual insight to understand] that He was speaking to them about the Father.

You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.

Your father Abraham [greatly] rejoiced to see My day (My incarnation). He saw it and was delighted.”

Jesus replied, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, before Abraham was born, I Am.”

Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed and illustrated in him.

And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went away and washed, and came back seeing.

He replied, “The Man called Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received my sight!”

Now it was on a Sabbath day that Jesus made the mud and opened the man’s eyes.

Then some of the Pharisees said, “This Man [Jesus] is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner (a non-observant Jew) do such signs and miracles?” So there was a difference of opinion among them.

His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;

Then he answered, “I do not know whether He is a sinner [separated from God]; but one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem.

It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple [area] in Solomon’s portico.

He went back again across the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there.

Many came to Him, and they were saying, “John did not perform a single sign (attesting miracle), but everything John said about this Man was true and accurate.”

Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village where Mary and her sister Martha lived.

It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

So [even] when He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed in the same place two more days.

And for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Then Thomas, who was called Didymus (the twin), said to his fellow disciples, “Let us go too, that we may die with Him.”

Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away;

So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him, while Mary remained sitting in the house.

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed and continue to believe that You are the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the Son of God, He who was [destined and promised] to come into the world [and it is for You that the world has waited].”

Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met Him.

So when the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her, saw how quickly Mary got up and left, they followed her, assuming that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

When Mary came [to the place] where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who had come with her also sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit [to the point of anger at the sorrow caused by death] and was troubled,

So Jesus, again deeply moved within [to the point of anger], approached the tomb. It was a cave, and a boulder was lying against it [to cover the entrance].

But one of them, Caiaphas, who was the high priest that year [the year of Christ’s crucifixion], said to them, “You know nothing at all!

Now he did not say this [simply] on his own initiative; but being the high priest that year, he [was unknowingly used by God and] prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

Now the Passover of the Jews was approaching, and many from the country went up to Jerusalem before Passover to purify themselves [ceremonially, so that they would be able to participate in the feast].

Now the chief priests and Pharisees had given orders that if anyone knew where He was, he was to report it so that they might arrest Him.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom He had raised from the dead.

So they gave a supper for Him there. Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.

Then Mary took a pound of very expensive perfume of pure nard, and she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, the one who was going to betray Him, said,

“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and [the money] given to the poor?”