John 1:6-34

New King James Version

John’s Witness: The True Light

⁶ There was a ^(A)man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a ^(B)witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might ^(C)believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that ^(D)Light. ^9 (E)That^[a] was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and ^(F)the world did not know Him. ^11 (G)He came to His ^[b]own, and His ^[c]own did not receive Him. ¹² But ^(H)as many as received Him, to them He gave the ^[d]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ^13 (I)who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Becomes Flesh

^14 (J)And the Word ^(K)became ^(L)flesh and dwelt among us, and ^(M)we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ^(N)full of grace and truth.

^15 (O)John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ^(P)‘He who comes after me ^[e]is preferred before me, ^(Q)for He was before me.’ ”

^16 [f]And of His ^(R)fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For ^(S)the law was given through Moses, but ^(T)grace and ^(U)truth came through Jesus Christ. ^18 (V)No one has seen God at any time. ^(W)The only begotten ^[g]Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

A Voice in the Wilderness^(X)

¹⁹ Now this is ^(Y)the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”

^20 (Z)He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”

²¹ And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?”

He said, “I am not.”

“Are you ^(AA)the Prophet?”

And he answered, “No.”

²² Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?”

²³ He said: ^(AB)“I am

as the prophet Isaiah said.”

²⁴ Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. ²⁵ And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

²⁶ John answered them, saying, ^(AD)“I baptize with water, ^(AE)but there stands One among you whom you do not know. ^27 (AF)It is He who, coming after me, ^[h]is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

²⁸ These things were done ^(AG)in ^[i]Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The Lamb of God^(AH)

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! ^(AI)The Lamb of God ^(AJ)who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who ^[j]is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ³¹ I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, ^(AK)therefore I came baptizing with water.”

^32 (AL)And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. ³³ I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, ^(AM)this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and testified that this is the ^(AN)Son of God.”